An incident occurred near Turkey involving a Russian tanker. The MID Volga-2, heading from Russia to Georgia with a cargo of sunflower oil, was reportedly attacked 80 miles off the Turkish coast according to Turkey’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs. All crew members remained unharmed, and the vessel continued its route.
This case is growing into an international political controversy. Previously, Kazakhstan and Turkey expressed discontent over attacks on Russian tankers, while Estonia urged Ukraine not to strike Russian ships in the Baltic Sea following the incident off Turkey’s coast.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said strikes on tankers in the Baltic Sea could lead to escalation, though admitted Ukraine’s right to target sites within Russia.
Turkey and President Erdoğan have expressed concern about rising tensions and navigation safety in the Black Sea. At the same time, the EU and Turkey are keen to maintain economic ties and balance.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has officially denied involvement in the MID Volga-2 tanker attack. The tanker-owning company announced it would suspend cooperation with Russia after the incident.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliatory strikes on ships of countries assisting Ukraine, mentioning new possible attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure should such attacks continue.
