The Russian tanker “Kairos“, which was hit by Ukrainian drones in Turkey's exclusive economic zone on November 28 on its way to Novorossiysk, is running aground a mile off the Bulgarian coast, gazeta.ru reported.
Bulgarian maritime authorities said the ship had entered the country's territorial waters. The 10-person crew requested evacuation. Bad weather conditions are hampering rescue efforts.
The Bulgarian Maritime Administration explained that the tanker was spotted in the country's territorial waters early in the morning of December 5, but contact could not be established with it. After inquiries to the Maritime Coordination Center in Ankara, it was confirmed that the tanker was the Kairos with 10 sailors on board. Late last night, the crew requested evacuation.
According to Maritime.bg, the ship was being towed by a Turkish tugboat, which abandoned the tanker near Bulgarian waters.
„Kairos“ was drifting without an engine, exposed to strong northeasterly winds with gusts of over 15 m/s.
The ship was anchored near Ahtopol. Local residents saw the tanker about 100 meters from the shore.
Bulgarian experts noted that the ship is in a relatively safe area: the depth of approximately 20 meters and the rocky bottom allow the „Kairos“ to be held at anchor. There is no risk of an oil spill, as the tanker is not carrying crude oil.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport announced that the operation is being carried out by the “Maritime Administration“ Agency, “Border Police“ Directorate and the Navy. Two tugboats are ready to assist, but strong waves of up to 4 points significantly complicate maneuvering. Border police and a naval helicopter maintain constant surveillance of the ship.
A specialized team of the border police is ready to reach the tanker once the weather conditions stabilize.
Communication is being maintained with the crew, and the sailors have been provided with the necessary protective equipment. A crisis center is operating in Burgas.
Turkish authorities earlier stated that the crew of the “Kairos“ was evacuated after a fire broke out on board as a result of the attack off the coast of Kefken, and that extinguishing the fire took several days. According to Ankara, the attacks also affected the tankers “Virat“ and “Midvolga 2“. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the attacks on Russian-linked tankers threaten regional security.
The damage to the ship was reported on the evening of November 28. CNN and Reuters sources reported that “Kairos“, which was traveling to Novorossiysk, was hit by Sea Baby naval drones used by the Security Service of Ukraine. The attack is part of a series of strikes on tankers, part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet.
A few hours later, the tanker “Virat“, located 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast, was also attacked. There were 20 crew members on board when the ship was hit again on the morning of November 29.
According to Marine Traffic and BNT, “Kairos” and “Virat” sail under the Gambian flag and are included in sanctions lists related to the export of Russian oil. Bloomberg reported that Kairos is subject to sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
On December 2, drones hit the Russian tanker “Midvolga”, which was transporting sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia. There were 13 people on board; no one was injured.