Drones attacked three tankers of the Russian “shadow fleet” off the coast of Turkey

Drones attacked three tankers belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea, off the northern coast of Turkey.

The attacks took place in international waters, north of the Turkeli area. All three vessels were in ballast, Splash reported, citing shipping company Tribeca.

No injuries were reported among the crew. The first to be attacked was the Palau-flagged James II, built in 2002 and affiliated with the Indian company Gama Link Tech Services. Tribeca reported that the tanker was hit in the engine room about 50 miles north of Turkeli and about 47 miles from the Bosphorus Strait.

The tanker had 20 crew members on board when the incident occurred.

Two other Suezmax tankers, the Altura and the Velora, were also reportedly attacked in the nearby area while conducting a ship-to-ship transfer operation.

Both vessels operate under the flag of Sierra Leone and are operated by the Turkish operator Pergamon Denizcilik Isletmeleri.

According to Tribeca, Turkish Coast Guard vessels were dispatched to the vessels after the incidents, and all crew members are reportedly safe.

It is currently unknown whose drones attacked the vessels.

Recall that in March, the Altura tanker was already under a drone attack in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey, while transporting Russian crude oil. It is also known that the vessel has already changed its flag at least five times.

Altura transported about 6 million barrels of Russian oil between January 2024 and July 2025. In particular, the senders of the cargo were the Russian sanctioned companies Rosneft and Russneft. The vessel is listed by Greenpeace as belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet”. The tanker is under sanctions by the EU, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK and Canada.

Since June 2024, the James II has been involved in the export of Russian oil and petroleum products from Russian ports, as well as through STS transfers. The international public organization Greenpeace refers the tanker to the “shadow fleet” of tankers that transport Russian oil around the world and threaten the environment. The UK, Ukraine and Australia have imposed sanctions on the vessel.

Velora transported about 5.2 million barrels of Russian oil from January 2024 to July 2025. In particular, on August 3, 2025, the tanker left the Sheskharis terminal (Novorossiysk port) loaded with crude oil (almost 140 thousand tons) and delivered cargo to India, the sender of which was the sanctioned company Rosneft. Also referred to by Greenpeace as the “shadow fleet”. The vessel is under sanctions by the EU, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK, and Canada.