According to TASS, on December 1 local time, Russia's presidential press secretary Peskov stated that the attack on the Black Sea oil tankers was "horrifying" and an infringement on Turkish sovereignty.
"Attacking merchant ships and oil tankers, especially attacking them within Turkish territorial waters, is a horrifying event and an infringement on Turkish sovereignty. It once again reveals the nature of the Kyiv regime," said Peskov.
The Turkish Maritime Directorate stated on the evening of November 28 that an oil tanker named "Keros" flying the flag of Gambia exploded and caught fire due to external factors at a distance of 28 nautical miles from the Turkish coastline. Another oil tanker, also flying the flag of Gambia, "Vilat," reported an explosion and fire 35 nautical miles away from the "Keros."
Additionally, in recent days, the infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium near the port of Novorossiysk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai area was also attacked by Ukrainian forces.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zarikova stated on the 30th that the attacks were "terrorist attacks" and strongly condemned those who planned and carried them out. She emphasized that the latest attack occurred amid a large-scale corruption scandal in Ukraine and the consecutive resignation of high-ranking officials, aiming to divert attention, which highlights the "criminal nature" of the Ukrainian government.
Attack footage provided by Ukrainian officials. Screenshot of the video
Turkish authorities stated that after the attack, Turkish rescue vessels were immediately dispatched. All 20 crew members on the "Vilat" and 25 crew members on the "Keros" were safely rescued, and all crew members are in stable condition.
Ukrainian media reported that the Ukrainian Security Service and the Ukrainian Navy used drones to jointly carry out attacks on the two oil tankers in the Black Sea. The report claimed that the attacked "Keros" and "Vilat" were both part of Russia's "shadow fleet," with their destinations being the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk.
According to Reuters, a Ukrainian official said, "The video shows that both oil tankers were severely damaged and basically cannot continue operations. This will be a major blow to Russian oil transportation."
Ukraine has repeatedly urged Western countries to take "concrete actions" against Russia's "shadow fleet." The Ukrainian government claims that Russia exports oil through the "shadow fleet," providing funding for its military operations in Ukraine.
On November 30, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Enes Keceli stated that the attack took place in Turkey's Black Sea exclusive economic zone, posing a serious threat to navigation safety, life, property, and the environment in the region, but did not explicitly blame any country.
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