ANKARA: A tanker carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia was attacked in the Black Sea, the Turkish maritime authority said Tuesday, days after two Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers were attacked by Ukrainian naval drones.
The Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said the MIDVOLGA-2 came under attack about 130 kilometers off the Turkish coast. The 13 crew members were unharmed and the vessel has not requested assistance.
It was heading toward the Turkish port of Sinop, the maritime authority said in a statement on X.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against Ukraine’s drone attack on two Russian vessels, the Kairos and Virat, saying it signaled a “worrying escalation” of the conflict.
“We cannot condone these attacks, which threaten navigational safety, life, and the environment, especially in our own exclusive zone,” Erdogan said in a televised address. “We are issuing the necessary warnings to all parties regarding such situations.”
Friday’s attacks against the Kairos and Virat occurred inside Turkiye’s exclusive economic zone. Crew members on board both vessels were reported to be safe.
The OpenSanctions database, which tracks people or organizations involved in sanctions evasion, describes the vessels as part of a fleet of ships used to evade sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has carried out successful naval strikes against Russian shipping during the war, particularly using explosives-packed marine drones. However, Ukrainian missions have previously largely been limited to the waters of the northern Black Sea.
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A third Russian tanker attacked in the Black Sea, Turkish authority says
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A third Russian tanker attacked in the Black Sea, Turkish authority says
- The MIDVOLGA-2 came under attack about 130 kilometers off the Turkish coast
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken out against Ukraine’s drone attack on two Russian vessels
White House: US well on way toward controlling Iran airspace
- Press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Washington expects the achievable US objectives to be completed in four to six weeks
WASHINGTON: The United States is well on its way toward controlling Iranian airspace, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday, adding that Washington expects the achievable US objectives to be completed in four to six weeks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Leavitt also said Washington was looking at potential candidates to lead Iran, a day after President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview that the United States must be involved in choosing the next leader of Iran.
“I know there’s a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won’t get any further on that,” Leavitt said.
In the interview on Thursday, Trump said that he thinks the next leader of Iran is unlikely to be the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, who has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed his father, who was killed in a military strike at the start of the war.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said there would be no deal struck with Iran except “unconditional surrender.”
“What the President means is that when he, as Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America, and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not,” Leavitt said.
“I know there’s a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won’t get any further on that,” Leavitt said.
In the interview on Thursday, Trump said that he thinks the next leader of Iran is unlikely to be the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, who has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed his father, who was killed in a military strike at the start of the war.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said there would be no deal struck with Iran except “unconditional surrender.”
“What the President means is that when he, as Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America, and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not,” Leavitt said.
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