Russian vessel struck by drone in the Black Sea

The Turkish government said that two Russian tankers, Virat and Kairos, were attacked by an unmanned vessel on Saturday again in the Black Sea after one of them was struck a day earlier. The explosions rocked the vessels near the Turkish shoreline.In the footage shared by the crew member aboard tanker Virat, a man could be heard reporting a “drone attack” in panic as he is heard calling for mayday, reporting they “need help” from a “drone attack.”Turkish transport and infrastructure minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, while talking to the local media, revealed that rescue teams initially received warnings suggesting the tanker Kairos might have struck a mine, before reports emerged of an explosion aboard the Virat.Uraloglu said, “Our crews confirm explosions on the other ship, likely caused by external interference. Possibilities include a mine, missile, marine vessel, or drone, but we lack definitive confirmation.”Meanwhile, news agency AFP reported that that the attack was carried out by Ukraine as it believed the vessels were transporting sanctioned Russian oil in secrecy. “Modernised Sea Baby naval drones successfully targeted the vessels,” AFP reported, citing a Ukrainian security service source.The explosion hit the Kairos around 1500 GMT on Friday, prompting rescuers to evacuate its 25 crew members following a fire outbreak. Officials reported the vessel was approximately 100 kilometres east of where the Bosphorus Strait meets the Black Sea.The Virat was attacked later, located about 400 kilometres further east, according to the VesselFinder tracking site.