Russia's shadow fleet tanker Kairos caught fire off Turkey after a suspected mine explosion
Kyiv • UNN
North of the Turkish coast, the tanker Kairos, part of Russia's shadow fleet, was damaged and caught fire. The vessel, which is under EU and UK sanctions, was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident.
North of the Turkish coast, the oil tanker Kairos, part of Russia's shadow fleet, was damaged after a probable mine explosion, a local port agent reported. This is reported by UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
The Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs clarified that a fire broke out on the vessel due to an external impact, and rescue vessels were dispatched to evacuate the 25 crew members. At the time of the incident, the tanker was not carrying cargo.
Kairos is a Suezmax-class vessel that is sanctioned by the UK and the EU for transporting Russian oil, but not by the US. The tanker's previous voyage was from Novorossiysk to Paradip in India, where it transported Urals crude oil. According to Bloomberg vessel tracking data, Kairos then returned to the Russian port to load new cargo.