Three oil tankers mysteriously damaged by explosions in the Mediterranean
Kyiv • UNN
Over the past month, three cases of oil tankers being damaged by explosions have been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. The incidents occurred off the coasts of Italy, Turkey and Libya, and the causes of the explosions are currently unknown.
The relevant incidents in the central Mediterranean related to the damage to non-military vessels by explosions were the first in at least the last 10 years. UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
Details
In early 2025 , three oil tankers were damaged by explosions in the Mediterranean Sea . This is the first time such incidents have occurred in a decade.
This is according to Reuters sources in the shipping and security industry.
Two explosions ripped through the hull of a Maltese-flagged tanker carrying Russian crude oil (sic) from Algeria as it docked at the port of Savona in northwestern Italy last week. Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the incident. Investigators do not rule out the possibility that the “impacts” were caused by explosive devices, as part of the hull was “pulled inward”.
The vessel's operator, the Athens-based Thenamaris, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the news agency
The tanker Seacharm, which is also related to the Thenamaris, was damaged by an explosion in the Mediterranean Turkish port of Ceyhan in late January, two sources told Reuters.
In the third incident, a Liberian-flagged Grace Ferrum chemical and product tanker was damaged off Libya in February.
According to LSEG's ship tracking data, the vessel was showing its status as unsubordinate off the Libyan coast on Wednesday. The Cypriot operator Cymare was not available for comment.
Recall
The An Yang 2 vessel with 20 crew members has run aground 200 meters off the coast of Sakhalin since. The vessel is carrying over 700 tons of fuel oil, diesel fuel and coal, and a state of emergency has been declared.
