Minister Uraloglu: USV attack on oil tanker in Black Sea was intentional

An Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) on the oil tanker ALTURA in the Black Sea was carried out deliberately, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said, Report informs via TRT Haber.

"There was an explosion in the ship's engine section, and we believe it was struck by a sea drone. Relevant authorities are at the scene," he noted.

The minister stated that the vessel, loaded with crude oil in Russia and sailing under a foreign flag, had a Turkish crew.

Uraloglu emphasized that the attack aimed to completely disable the ship: "In other words, it was carried out intentionally. More precise information will be provided in the coming hours."

Earlier reports claimed that the Turkish-operated oil tanker ALTURA had been targeted by an unmanned surface vessel. According to Haber Global, the tanker was hit 15 miles (24.14 km) from the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait.

It was reported that while parts of the ship were damaged, none of the 27 crew members were harmed. The tanker was carrying 140,000 tons (1 million barrels) of crude oil.