Attacked sanctioned tanker “Virat” enters Turkey for repairs under new name and flag

The “Virat” tanker, which was attacked on November 28 in the Black Sea, was spotted by experts at a ship repair yard in Turkey under the new name Prometey and a Russian flag.

This was reported by Andriy Klymenko, project manager of the Black Sea Strategic Studies Institute.

According to Klymenko, the tanker entered the city of Tuzli, Turkey, for repairs. In addition, the ship changed the false flag of Gambia to the flag of the Russian Federation and took a new name – Prometey.

Recall that on November 28, in the Black Sea near the Bosphorus Strait, explosions occurred on two tankers belonging to the shadow fleet of Russia – “Kairos” and “Virat”. As a result of the explosions, the ships caught fire.

The “Virat” tanker suffered an explosion approximately 35 nautical miles from the coast of Turkey. There were 20 people on board.

Both tankers, Kairos and Virat, are on the list of vessels subject to sanctions against Russia, introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

USM previously reported that Turkey was required to inspect tankers that were attacked by drones off its coast.