The Palau-flagged oil tanker Elbus (IMO: 9290385) was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea on the evening of January 7, 30 miles off the coast north of Turkey’s Abana district in Kastamonu province.

It was en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk to load oil. According to media reports, the Elbus was originally built for Russia (Sovcomflot) and was named Scf Aldan. It is considered part of Russia’s shadow fleet.

Turkish authorities report that the tanker was damaged and a small fire broke out, but none of the crew were injured.

“The damaged tanker is being towed to the port of Inebolu for a detailed inspection and the implementation of safety measures. Technical surveys at the port will help determine the source of the attack and the extent of the damage,” the Coast Guard reported.

According to the ship tracking service marinetraffic, the vessel is currently anchored in the Turkish port of Inebolu.

Dumskaya columnist Alexei Sukhoi believes that the tanker was most likely attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle.

“Although the attack occurred last night, no one has yet claimed responsibility. We’ll assume it was the work of unknown, benevolent drones. But seriously, it’s likely our Defense Forces are continuing to test new types of unmanned systems. Judging by photos from Turkish sources, the tanker’s superstructure was hit, meaning it wasn’t a naval drone, but an aerial one, and it was targeting a moving object,” the observer noted.
DEATH TO THE RUSSIAN OCCUPIERS!

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