The oil tanker Altura, subject to EU, Swiss, Ukrainian, and UK sanctions, was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, 14 miles from the Bosporus.
According to Ukrinform, the incident occurred when an explosion took place on the tanker’s bridge, causing the engine room to flood. The vessel was carrying 140,000 tons of crude oil at the time of the attack.
Vessel and Sanctions
The Altura is a Suezmax-class tanker that was previously part of the Beşiktaş Denizcilik fleet and named Beşiktaş Dardanelles. In May 2024, it was acquired by Panamanian company Kayseri Shipping and renamed Kayseri. In November 2025, Istanbul-based Pergamon Denizcilik purchased the vessel and renamed it Altura.
The ship was added to the EU sanctions list on October 24, 2025; Switzerland and Ukraine imposed sanctions on December 13, 2025; and the UK on February 24, 2026. Additionally, Kayseri Shipping founder Hector Varela de Leon was sanctioned by the US in July 2025.
Incident Details
The attack occurred while the Altura was en route from Novorossiysk, loaded with roughly 1 million barrels (136,400 tonnes) of Urals crude oil. Tracking systems show that the tanker was traveling through the Black Sea when it was targeted by a maritime drone.
According to Bloomberg, there are no fatalities or injuries among the crew, which includes 27 Turkish sailors. Turkish Coast Guard and Security Directorate units, the emergency rescue vessel Nene Hatun, and tugboats were dispatched to the site in response to the incident.
Previous Incident
This is not the first reported attack on a tanker in the Black Sea region. On March 14, a Greek-flagged tanker was allegedly attacked near the Russian port of Novorossiysk. The incident has sparked concerns about the safety and security of vessels operating in the area.
There has been no official confirmation or reaction to the Altura incident so far.
Original Article: Drone attacks sanctioned Russian oil tanker in Black Sea – media — Ukrinform