Drone Strike Hits Chinese-owned Oil Tanker ‘Elbus‘ in Black Sea
A Chinese-owned crude oil tanker, Elbus (IMO: 9290385), was allegedly attacked by an unidentified drone on Wednesday while sailing in the Black Sea towards Russia’s Novorossiyisk Port from Singapore (as per AIS data). The “unmanned marine-vehicle and drone attack” that the Palauan-flagged Suezmax-size vessel faced off the coast of Turkey’s Inebolu district targeted its engine room, as per a report from maritime data experts Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The incident has sparked concerns about the safety of vessels operating in the region. According to reports, neither any injuries nor marine pollution have been reported in the area so far. Following the drone strike, the crew of the Elbus sent out a distress signal, which was answered by the Turkish Coast Guard.
Turkish Coast Guard Responds to Distress Signal
While some reports claim that the tanker was towed to Turkey, others claimed that it arrived at Inebolu on its own. Videos taken by the Turkish Coast Guard also disproved earlier visuals which allegedly showed that the Elbus had caught fire after the strike. The Turkish Coast Guard’s swift response has been praised for ensuring the safety of the crew and preventing any potential environmental disasters.
Links to Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’
Notably, the Elbus has also been linked to Moscow’s “shadow fleet”, a set of vessels that transport sanctioned products like crude oil in and out of Russia. These vessels often use a number of techniques, like turning off their AIS transponders, to evade detection. In that regard, speculations have arisen as to whether Ukraine could be behind the drone attack, as it had attacked two such shadow fleet vessels back in November 2025.
However, Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the drone strike. The vessel is also not named in the lists of vessels sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, or the European Union (EU), as per a Maritime Executive report.
Original Article: Chinese-owned oil tanker ‘Elbus’ hit by drone strike en route to Russian port: All you need to know — Theweek