Sanctioned tanker Altura damaged by drone near Istanbul

The Sierra Leone-flagged tanker Altura, carrying 140,000 tonnes of crude from Novorossiysk, was hit by a drone in the Black Sea, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing Turkish broadcaster NTV. The strike damaged the deck, bridge and engine room and the ship took on water, but all 27 crew were unharmed. The tanker has been sanctioned by Ukraine and Switzerland since 2025 and by the UK since 2026. According to Ukraine's military intelligence, it regularly moves Russian oil to India and Georgia as part of Russia's shadow fleet. Kyiv had not commented on the incident.

This is a summary in our own words of the linked reporting. Allegations are those of the source. How we report.