Erdogan declared a threat to navigation in the Black Sea due to Russia’s war against Ukraine
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concern about the threat to shipping safety in the Black Sea as a result of hostilities caused by attacks on Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers.
Erdogan, speaking after a government meeting, noted that the current level of military actions by Russia against Ukraine poses a real threat to shipping in the region. The attack on trading vessels in the Turkish exclusive economic zone caused particular concern for Ankara. “We cannot justify these attacks, which threaten navigation, life, and the environment,” said the president.
Earlier, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concerns about attacks on vessels. On November 29, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine informed LIGA.net that the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy disabled two tankers that could carry oil worth up to $70 million.
No official confirmation came from the Ukrainian side, and Turkey did not blame Ukraine for these strikes. It was also known about the explosions of another tanker involved in transporting Russian oil off the coast of Africa. Kazakhstan protested the strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in Novorossiysk, noting that it had not previously responded to Russia’s actions on Ukrainian territory.
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| November 29 | Attack on Russia’s shadow fleet | Black Sea |
| End of November | Explosion on a tanker | Coasts of Africa |
| December 1 | Kazakhstan’s statement | Port of Novorossiysk |
