Turkish tug abandons Ukrainian-hit tanker in Bulgarian waters for unclear reasons

The sanctioned tanker Kairos, damaged by Ukrainian naval drones on November 28, ended up in an emergency situation off the Bulgarian coast after a Turkish tugboat towing it abandoned the vessel on Friday, said Rumen Nikolov, Director General of the Emergency and Rescue Directorate of the Bulgarian Maritime Administration.

"The tug and the tanker — for reasons unknown to us — were moving north, and after entering the territorial sea, about six miles offshore, the connection between them was severed. Personally, I find this abnormal, but the circumstances will be clarified through diplomatic channels," Nikolov said.

Following instructions from Bulgarian authorities, the tanker’s crew dropped anchor 700–800 meters from the shore near the town of Ahtopol, according to the local outlet Maritime.bg.

Ten crew members remain on board, but none of the officers — neither the captain nor the first officer — are present. The sailors have food and water supplies for about three days.

They requested evacuation, but storm conditions and strong winds made this impossible for the time being.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has begun consultations with Turkish counterparts to determine why the tugboat abandoned the tanker. Once weather conditions improve, the vessel is expected to be towed to the Burgas Bay area.

Bulgarian sources report visible signs of damage consistent with a Ukrainian drone strike.

The tanker was not carrying cargo and therefore does not pose an environmental risk.

• On December 2, another tanker belonging to Russia’s "shadow fleet" was reportedly attacked while sailing to Georgia with a shipment of sunflower oil. Ukraine denied any involvement, suggesting the incident may have been a Russian provocation.
• Amid the rising tensions in the Black Sea, Turkey summoned representatives of both Ukraine and Russia.