KIEV, Dec 1 : Kiev confirmed it was behind the naval drone attacks on two tankers off the coast of Turkey, the Guardian newspaper reported, citing a source in the Ukrainian intelligence services.
On Friday, the Turkish Maritime Authority reported that the Gambian-flagged tanker Kairos had caught fire in the Black Sea 28 miles off the coast of Turkey due to an external force.
Twenty-five crew members were successfully evacuated. Later, the crew of the tanker Virat signaled that the vessel had been struck 35 miles off the coast of Turkey.
There were 20 crew members on board, who said they would not abandon the ship. On Saturday, the tanker was attacked again by unmanned naval boats.
The same forces that once disrupted the settlement dialogue are involved in Kiev’s terrorist attacks in the Black Sea, and they are now again seeking armed escalation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry previously expressed concern over the attacks on two tankers in the Black Sea, stating that these actions posed a threat to human lives, shipping, and the environment.
Ankara is maintaining contact with the relevant parties to prevent the conflict from spreading to the Black Sea and to prevent any negative impact on Turkey’s economic interests, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
(UNI)
The post Kiev takes responsibility for attacks on 2 tankers off Turkish coast appeared first on Daily Excelsior.