Two Sanctioned Tankers On Fire in Black Sea

Here’s a short, neutral summary based only on what official sources and major agencies report so far:

• What the tankers are
  Kairos and Virat are large, ocean-going oil tankers that international databases link to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” used to move Russian oil under sanctions.
• Basic specifications
  Turkey’s Transport Ministry described Kairos as a roughly 274-metre (about 900-foot) tanker. It was sailing under the Gambian flag and in ballast (without cargo) at the time of the incident.
  Virat is slightly shorter (around 820 feet according to press summaries) and also operates as a crude-oil tanker; both vessels appear on Western sanctions lists.
• What happened and where
  On 28 November 2025, both tankers suffered explosions and fires in the Black Sea off Turkey’s north coast, near the approaches to the Bosphorus:
  • Kairos reported an “external impact” and then a fire about 28 nautical miles off Kocaeli province, while en route from Egypt to Russia’s Novorossiysk port. Around an hour later, Virat was reported struck roughly 35 nautical miles offshore further east, with heavy smoke detected in the engine room.
  Turkish rescue units, tugs and emergency response vessels went to both scenes; all 25 crew from Kairos and 20 crew from Virat were safely evacuated, according to Turkey’s Maritime Affairs Directorate and Transport Ministry.
• What Turkish officials have said so far
  Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu told Turkish media that early reports suggested Kairos may have hit a mine, and that explosions on Virat also appeared to result from “external interference.” He said the most likely causes under investigation include a drifting mine, a missile, a marine drone or another form of external strike, but stressed that there is still no definitive conclusion. The Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs likewise stated that Kairos caught fire due to an “external impact,” confirmed both tankers were empty of cargo, and said investigations continue while traffic through the Bosphorus remains open.

That’s all that can be stated confidently right now from official and major-agency reporting: two sanctioned “shadow fleet” tankers, serious explosions and fires off Turkey’s Black Sea coast, full crew evacuations, and an ongoing Turkish investigation into what they describe as likely external attacks or mine strikes.

Update: ships attacked by the sea drones. New video released