Greek Tanker Attacked off Novorossiysk in Black Sea

© изображение сгенерировано ИИ

Greek oil tanker Maran Homer was attacked in the Black Sea near the Russian coast, according to a statement by Greek Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Vassilis Kikilias, as reported by TASS.

The incident took place approximately 14 nautical miles off the coast of Novorossiysk. The vessel had 24 crew members on board: 10 Greek nationals, 13 Filipinos, and 1 Romanian. None of the crew members were injured, and their condition is described as satisfactory. The attack resulted in minor damage to the right side of the ship.

According to the Greek Ministry of Shipping, the tanker was traveling from Thessaloniki to Novorossiysk and was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident. The vessel was chartered by Chevron.

The tanker is owned by Maran Tankers Management Inc., part of the business empire of Greek ship-owning magnate Maria Angelicoussis. The company also issued a statement regarding the incident. It noted that around 4:35 local time, the vessel was outside Russian territorial waters and awaiting permission to enter the terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in Novorossiysk, where it was scheduled to load Kazakh oil.

According to the operator, the tanker was attacked by an unidentified object. The damage was limited to the deck and equipment, and there was no threat to the crew. No environmental pollution was detected. Following the incident, the vessel continued its journey and has since left the Novorossiysk area.