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Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Hit By Drone Just Miles From Bosphorus Chokepoint
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An unidentified drone struck the oil tanker Altura in the Black Sea near Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait while it was transporting Russian crude.
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According to Bloomberg on March 26, the Suezmax-class tanker was carrying around one million barrels of Urals crude loaded from the Russian port of Novorossiysk when it was hit approximately 15 nautical miles from the Bosphorus.
The outlet reports that an explosion occurred near the vessel’s bridge, and the engine room began taking on water following the impact.
According to Turkish broadcaster NTV, the vessel sustained damage to its deck, bridge, and engine compartment. The report, citing Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, stated that the type of drone used in the attack has not been confirmed, with uncertainty over whether it was an aerial or maritime unmanned system.
The tanker, sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone, had a crew of 27 Turkish nationals on board. According to NTV, no casualties were reported.
Turkish authorities dispatched coast guard units, maritime safety teams, and an emergency response vessel to the area following a distress signal from the ship. The vessel was later surrounded by Turkish naval assets as response operations continued.
Data cited by Ukrainian military intelligence indicates that Altura is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, used to transport oil to evade international sanctions.
According to this data, the tanker moved approximately six million barrels of Russian crude between early 2024 and mid-2025. Bloomberg also reports that the vessel is under sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and the European Union, though not currently by the US.
The circumstances of the strike and responsibility for the attack remain unclear. No official claims of responsibility have been made.
The incident follows a similar case in December 2025, when a drone strike hit the Russian tanker Valeriy Gorchakov at the port of Rostov-on-Don, setting the vessel ablaze and causing casualties among the crew.
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