Stranded Oil Tanker’s Crew in Good Condition Amid Evacuation Efforts
The oil tanker Kairos, believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to evade international sanctions linked to its war in Ukraine, has been stranded off the Black Sea port of Ahtopol, Bulgaria, after an alleged Ukrainian drone attack. Bulgarian maritime authorities have launched efforts to evacuate the crew.
According to Rumen Nikolov, in charge of rescue operations at the Bulgarian Maritime Agency, the tanker is stable despite bad weather conditions and poses no danger to either the crew or the environment. The 10-member crew, comprising individuals from different nationalities, has enough food and water for about three days. “When the weather calms down, the ship will be towed to a safe place,” Nikolov explained.
Crew’s Situation and Evacuation Efforts
The crew of the Kairos has complied with orders and dropped anchor, according to Anton Zlatanov, head of border police. Communication was established with the crew, who expressed their desire to be evacuated, but this must be done in the safest way possible, Zlatanov emphasized.
The tanker is being monitored by a radio communication system, thermal cameras from the shore, and a radar system, while communication with the crew is being maintained. The Bulgarian authorities are working to establish diplomatic channels to determine why the tanker was brought into Bulgaria’s territorial waters.
Background on the Sanctioned Oil Tanker
The Kairos, formerly flagged as Panamanian, Greek, and Liberian, was built in 2002. It was sanctioned by the EU in July this year, followed by the U.K. and Switzerland. The ship entered Bulgaria’s territorial waters on Friday under tow by a Turkish vessel but was abandoned, leaving it to drift across the sea without power like a ghost ship before stranding less than a nautical mile off the shore.
The Kairos caught fire after an alleged attack with Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea near the Turkish coast last week. It was sailing empty from Egypt toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk at the time of the incident.
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