In the Black Sea off the northern coast of Turkey on Thursday, three tankers that previously carried Russian oil and petroleum products were attacked.
The Palau-flagged tanker James II was traveling without cargo and was attacked approximately 80 km north of the Turkela area. Two more tankers — Altura and Velora under the flag of Sierra Leone — were attacked during transshipment between ships. Turkey sent a coast guard boat to the scene. According to Tribeca, none of the crew members were injured. Ukraine and Russia did not comment on the attack. The Ministry of Transport of Turkey also did not comment.
All three vessels previously carried Russian oil and were subject to sanctions. Altura and Velora transported Rosneft oil and are under EU sanctions from October 24, 2025. Switzerland, Great Britain and Canada also introduced sanctions against the courts later.
From November 19, 2025, they will be managed by the Turkish company Pergamon Denizcilik Isletmeleri. Altura and Velora are linked to a network of companies linked to Hector Varela de Leon and Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader. The James II tanker has been used for the export of oil and petroleum products from Russian ports since June 2024. On May 20, 2025, Great Britain introduced sanctions against him.
