Two Greek-owned tankers “Delta Harmony” and “Matilda” were targeted in a drone attack in the Black Sea near the port of Novorossiysk on Tuesday morning (March 13), according to reports.
It is not yet clear whether the attack was carried out by aerial or sea drones, or a combination of both. According to initial reports, the attack caused a fire on the “Delta Harmony,” which was reportedly extinguished immediately. The tankers continue to sail in a southerly direction.
What reports say about the tanker attack in the Black Sea
Two tankers were attacked near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) loading terminal in the Black Sea, Bloomberg reports, citing an anonymous agency source with knowledge of the situation. The two vessels were set to load at the CPC – Kazakhstan’s main oil export route – but had moved away earlier to wait their turn, according to the same source. The extent of damage to both vessels is not yet clear.
Attacks on shipping in the Black Sea have intensified over the past six weeks, with Ukraine carrying out strikes against a series of Russia-linked tankers, while Moscow has also targeted commercial vessels. Oil loadings from Kazakhstan have also declined as maintenance, bad weather conditions, and drone attacks have affected operations.
