Two Gambian-registered oil tankers, both under heavy Western sanctions for ferrying Russian crude in defiance of Ukraine-war restrictions, were struck by powerful explosions in the Black Sea on Friday, Turkish authorities confirmed.
The first vessel, the 2008-built Aframax tanker Kairos (IMO 9426439, Gambia flag), caught fire approximately 28 nautical miles off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast while en route to Russia’s Novorossiysk terminal. Türkiye’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs stated the blaze was triggered by “external impact.” Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told reporters preliminary information from the ship “points to a possible mine strike.” Dramatic footage released by the Turkish Coast Guard showed the 115,000-dwt tanker engulfed in flames. All 25 crew members – mostly Chinese nationals – were safely evacuated.
Less than two hours later, a second Gambian-flagged tanker, Virat (IMO 9257979), reported being hit 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. The vessel’s crew radioed that it had come under “drone attack,” according to local sources cited by Turkish media. Photographs distributed by authorities reveal a large breach in the starboard hull above the waterline. Rescue tugboats and helicopters were dispatched to evacuate Virat’s 20 crew members.
Both Kairos and Virat appear on the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC sanctions list and the EU’s restrictive measures for participating in Russia’s so-called “dark” or “shadow” fleet that circumvents the G7 price cap on Russian oil. Gambia has emerged as a flag-of-convenience of choice for dozens of ageing tankers engaged in the Russia trade since 2022, despite repeated diplomatic protests from Washington and Brussels.
The incidents mark the first confirmed physical attacks on Gambia-flagged vessels since the escalation of Black Sea hostilities. Floating mines laid during the Russia-Ukraine conflict have repeatedly drifted into international waters, while both sides have deployed sea drones against commercial shipping linked to the adversary.
Forbidden News was the first outlet to report the presence of these two vessels in the Black Sea danger zone earlier this week, highlighting their Gambian registration and sanctioned status. Neither Banjul nor the vessels’ beneficial owners have issued statements at the time of publication.
The Gambian Maritime Administration has remained silent amid growing international scrutiny over its rapid expansion as a shadow-fleet flag state.
