Reuters news agency reported, citing Turkish officials, that two oil tankers belonging to the “shadow fleet”
Russia, which, in an attempt to circumvent Western sanctions, suffered a severe explosion and caught fire on Saturday morning near the Turkish Straits in the Black Sea.
Confirming the incident, the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure announced that “initial indications indicate that the explosions were caused by a foreign agent.”
A massive rescue operation is underway by the Turkish Coast Guard and rescue ships.
There is no report yet on the exact number of crew members and the condition of those injured or killed.
The tankers in question were part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which transports the country’s oil to Asian markets without an official flag and by turning off its tracking system.
The exact cause of the explosions has not yet been officially confirmed, but Turkish authorities have launched an immediate investigation.
