Shadow Fleet Tanker Diverts to Turkey After Reporting Drone Attack
A Chinese-owned and managed crude oil tanker is reporting that it was attacked by a suspected drone while sailing in the Black Sea. The tanker Elbus (159,000 dwt) was traveling only with ballast along the Turkish coast, reportedly bound for the Russian terminal at Novorossiysk.
The vessel called for assistance on Wednesday, January 7, reporting it had been hit and sustained some damage. The reports are conflicting, and an apparently fake photo is circulating online showing smoke billowing from a tanker. Turkish TV captured pictures of the vessel after it arrived at the Black Sea port of Inebolu on Thursday.
The Turkish Coast Guard reportedly responded to the call for assistance. The media said no crewmembers were injured and there was no pollution from the vessel. Early reports said the Coast Guard was arranging for the vessel to be towed to Turkey, but later reports seem to indicate that it arrived at Inebolu under its own power. A Coast Guard vessel can be seen standing by in the TV footage.
Local officials said they would be conducting a detailed inspection of the vessel. They said they would clarify the extent of the damage and seek to identify the source of the attack. Some reports said it appears the engine room was targeted, but others said the ship was struck in the upper works.
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Built in 2005, the Elbus is sailing under the flag of Palau. It was acquired by a Chinese company in November 2025. The vessel does not appear in the lists of vessels sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, or the European Union. The ship’s AIS signal shows it was coming from Singapore.
AI marine analytics firm Windward highlights that tankers have been attempting to hug the Turkish coast since the dual attacks in November, which damaged two other shadow fleet tankers. Ukraine took credit for those two attacks, reporting it had used a modified version of its Sea Baby maritime drones. However, Ukraine denied subsequent attacks and has not acknowledged the current incident. Turkish media highlights that five tankers have reported drone attacks since November.
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