Türkiye vows continued action against Black Sea maritime threats

Turkish Defence Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk commented on the attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea, stating that measures continue to be implemented against war-related maritime threats.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Aktürk noted that, although these measures help minimise threats from the sea and reduce the security chaos in the Black Sea, lasting peace is required for a stable and secure maritime environment, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

“Nevertheless, in any case, we continue to take necessary precautions to ensure the security of our maritime jurisdiction and critical underwater and surface infrastructure, conduct navigation, reconnaissance, and surveillance activities with our naval and air assets, and carry on our operations within the framework of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group,” he added.

On November 28–29, 2025, Ukrainian naval drones struck two sanctioned Russian-linked tankers — Kairos and Virat — in the Black Sea within Türkiye’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Both vessels reportedly caught fire; all crew survived.

A few days later, another tanker — MIDVOLGA‑2, carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia — was also attacked off the Turkish coast. The 13 crew members were uninjured, and the vessel did not request help.

The targeted ships are believed to belong to what analysts call Russia’s “shadow fleet” — a network of oil tankers using flags of convenience and sanctions-evasion tactics to continue oil transport despite Western embargoes.

These episodes have triggered sharp warnings from Türkiye, which views the strikes as serious threats to navigation safety, maritime commercial traffic and regional stability.

By Jeyhun Aghazada