Two ocean tankers, which were severely sanctioned for transporting Russian oil, exploded off the coast of the Black Sea in Turkey, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
The first 900-foot tanker Kairos was taking on water after the explosion, a local port agent said. The Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs confirmed the incident and reported that a second vessel, the Virat, was also affected off the coast of Turkey and was engulfed in smoke. The causes of the incident are unclear, and a rescue operation is currently underway to save both vessels.
The publication notes that these two vessels are among hundreds assembled to ensure the transportation of Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine. Kairos is under sanctions from the United Kingdom and the European Union, and Virat is under sanctions from the United States and the EU.
This is not the first time that explosions have occurred on ships connected with Moscow this year. In early 2025, a series of explosions also occurred on merchant ships that had previously called at Russian ports.
It is not yet known what happened to these vessels, and who, if they were attacked, is responsible.
The Spanish Navy, which issues navigational warnings in the region, states that since the beginning of the conflict, floating mines in some areas of the Black Sea also pose a significant risk.
Addendum
The "Kairos" is a Suezmax-class vessel that previously made a voyage from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Paradip (India) carrying Russia's flagship Urals crude oil. According to ship tracking data collected by Bloomberg, at the time of the incident, it was returning to a Russian port to load its next cargo.
Like the Kairos, the Virat was empty at the time of the incident. Apparently, it had been idle in the western Black Sea for most of the year after being blacklisted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control on January 10.
The managers of both vessels, listed in the international safety database Equasis, did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment.