Ukraine has denied any responsibility for the attack on the tanker Midvolga-2, which was reportedly carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia.
Heorhiy Tykhyi, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated this on X (@SpoxUkraineMFA).
The Foreign Ministry stated that the Russian accusations are unfounded and fabricated.
“Ukraine has no connection to this incident, and we officially reject any such claims from Russian propaganda. In addition, the alleged route from Russia to Georgia via Turkey makes no logistical sense, suggesting the incident could have been staged by Russia,” the Ministry pointed out.
According to Russian sources, the tanker reported an attack about 80 miles off the Turkish coast while en route to Georgia.
The vessel had 13 crew members on board. There were no reports of injuries, and the tanker did not request assistance.
The Turkish Ministry of Transport said the Midvolga-2 continued its journey to the port of Sinop, with engines operating normally.
According to the VesselFinder database, the 140-meter tanker was built in 2014 and sails under the Russian flag.
The incident comes amid earlier attacks on two Russian shadow fleet tankers by Ukrainian naval drones.
Two Russian oil tankers reportedly caught fire in the Black Sea earlier this week under unclear circumstances.
Despite these incidents, the Bosphorus Strait remains open to shipping.
Turkey continues to monitor the situation and coordinate potential rescue and investigative operations in the area.
Source: militarnyi
