Russia-bound tanker diverts to Turkey after Black Sea drone strike
The Palau-flagged oil tanker *Elbus* diverted to a Turkish port on Wednesday after sustaining damage from a drone attack in the southwestern Black Sea, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence and maritime security sources. The vessel, en route from Singapore to the Russian port of Novorossiysk with 2
The Palau-flagged oil tanker Elbus diverted to a Turkish port on Wednesday after sustaining damage from a drone attack in the southwestern Black Sea, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence and maritime security sources. The vessel, en route from Singapore to the Russian port of Novorossiysk with 25 crew aboard, was struck approximately 30 nautical miles off the Turkish coast, prompting the ship to request assistance from Turkish coastguard authorities.
The attack marks the latest escalation in a pattern of strikes targeting Russia-linked energy transport infrastructure in the Black Sea, raising fundamental questions about commercial shipping security in the region. As the war's maritime dimension intensifies, the incident underscores the growing exposure of civilian vessels, crews, and coastal states drawn into proximity with an expanding conflict zone.
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