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Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Stuck off Bulgaria After Tugboat Abandons Tow
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A tanker identified by shipping trackers and investigative analysts as part of Russia’s sanctioned so-called shadow fleet remains stranded off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast near the town of Ahtopol, with rough weather delaying access to the vessel, Bulgarian authorities said on December 6, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
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Border Police Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov said stormy seas are preventing officials from boarding the tanker, named Kairos, despite a Border Police vessel and maritime inspector being on standby nearby. The crew of ten is safe, in constant contact with authorities, and equipped with food, water, and protective gear.
The tanker entered Bulgarian territorial waters from the south late Friday after being released by a Turkish tugboat that had been towing it. Bulgarian authorities monitored both vessels as they separated, after which the tug returned toward Turkey while the tanker drifted toward the Bulgarian coast and dropped anchor roughly 700–800 meters offshore, according to BTA.
Officials say Kairos is empty and poses no immediate environmental threat. Burgas Regional Governor Vladimir Krumov said the vessel is stable and that evacuation is not currently necessary. Border Police are continuing surveillance using radar, thermal cameras, and radio communications.
The ship is formally registered to a Chinese company, but maritime monitoring groups have linked Kairos to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of aging tankers used to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports, BTA wrote.
Bulgarian maritime officials said diplomatic channels, including contact with Turkey, are being used to clarify why the vessel entered Bulgarian waters and why the tow was abandoned.
Authorities expect that once weather conditions improve, the tanker will likely be towed to a safe harbor, potentially Burgas Bay, pending authorization from Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers.
Previously, it was stated that two Russian tankers involved in circumventing international sanctions on oil exports were reportedly disabled in a joint naval drone operation conducted by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and the country’s Navy, according to Hromadske reports citing sources within the SBU.
Maritime drones struck two sanctioned oil tankers—Kairo and Virat—in separate attacks in the Black Sea. According to Hromadske, citing an informed source within Ukraine’s Security Service, the vessels sustained critical damage and have been rendered inoperable.
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