Russia MoD confirms tanker Matilda sent distress signal during drone strike

On January 13, 2026, at 10:15 Moscow time, the tanker Matilda sent a distress signal via the international safety and distress channel in the Black Sea, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Drones struck two oil tankers in the Black Sea the day before, including Matilda, which was hit twice, and another vessel chartered by US oil giant Chevron, as both sailed toward a Russian coastal terminal, the companies involved said.

The tankers were bound for the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, a major loading hub handling roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports and some Russian crude, Reuters reported, citing eight anonymous sources.

The affected vessels were the Delta Harmony and Matilda. Delta Harmony, chartered by Chevron, was set to load crude from the Tengiz field, while Matilda, operated by Greek company Thenamaris and chartered by Kazmortransflot (a subsidiary of KazMunayGas), was transporting oil from Karachaganak.

By Jeyhun Aghazada