Turkish maritime authorities are still working to put out fires and stabilize two sanctioned tankers that were hit by Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea. At the same time, another incident involving a suspected shadow fleet vessel near Senegal has raised new worries about Russia’s shadow fleet activities.

Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has confirmed that the fire on the tanker Kairos has been fully extinguished. Discussions are now taking place about how to tow the ship. The 274-meter vessel was on its way from Egypt to Russia’s Novorossiysk port when it exploded and caught fire about 28 nautical miles off the coast. All 25 crew members were safely evacuated by Turkish coast guard units.

Turkish rescue vessels KURTARMA-12 and the emergency response vessel NENE HATUN worked throughout the night to fight the fire. According to the ministry, efforts to cool and fight the fire continued in enclosed areas even after the main deck fire was put out.

Efforts to tow the second tanker, Virat, are ongoing, with plans to dock it at the Türkeli Anchorage Area. The Virat, which was hit about 35 nautical miles offshore, experienced heavy smoke in its engine room but remained stable. This was despite a second drone attack on Saturday morning, which caused minor damage above the waterline. All 20 crew members were reported to be in good condition during the event.

The Security Service of Ukraine claimed responsibility for the strikes on Friday, stating that naval drones targeted both tankers as they were heading to a Russian port to load oil for foreign markets. A Ukrainian official told Reuters, “Video shows that after being hit, both tankers were critically damaged and effectively taken out of service. This will significantly impact Russian oil transport.”

Both vessels are under international sanctions for transporting Russian oil. The Kairos is sanctioned by the UK and EU, while the Virat faces sanctions from the U.S. and the EU.

In another development, the Panama-flagged tanker Mersin is in crisis off Senegal’s coast. The vessel, owned by Turkish firm Beşiktaş Denizcilik, was carrying up to 30,000 tons of fuel when it reported water entering its engine room during the night of November 27-28.

Senegalese authorities quickly activated a crisis response team under HASSMAR supervision, working with the Senegalese Navy, National Maritime Affairs Agency, and Port Authority of Dakar. All crew members were safely rescued, with no casualties reported.

The Port Authority of Dakar confirmed that priority actions include evaluating ways to seal the vessel to stabilize it, studying procedures for safely emptying the fuel cargo, and deploying an anti-pollution boom around the Mersin as a precaution. The French Navy has sent a vessel to assist and assess the situation.

No cause has been confirmed for the Mersin incident, but it comes shortly after the Black Sea drone strikes, although no link has been established.

Maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann from Windward AI pointed out that the Kairos was one of 72 vessels recently removed from the Gambian ship registry for carrying fraudulently issued certificates. Bockmann noted, “This vessel [the Kairos] is flagless and stateless, and any insurance and classification are invalidated because it falsely claimed to fly the Gambian flag.”

She further stated, “The dark fleet is an accident waiting to happen, and incidents like this are just a warning of what is to come.”

Turkish environmental experts and diving teams are on standby in the Black Sea region as operations continue. The incidents in the Black Sea did not disrupt shipping traffic through the Bosphorus Strait, which is operating normally.

These events highlight growing concerns about vessels operating without standard maritime oversight. The three separate tanker emergencies within just a few days underline the geopolitical tensions surrounding Russian oil exports and the risks posed by aging, poorly maintained vessels in the shadow fleet.