ISTANBUL, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Russia-flagged tanker sustained an attack off Türkiye's Black Sea coast on Tuesday, but continued its voyage with all crew members safe, the country's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs said.
In a statement on X, the directorate said that the Midvolga 2 tanker, carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia, came under attack 80 nautical miles off Türkiye's coast.
It added that all 13 crew members were unharmed, and that the vessel continued its journey toward Sinop in northwestern Türkiye without requesting assistance.
The incident followed attacks on two other commercial ships in the Black Sea by unmanned surface vessels, for which Ukraine claimed responsibility.
After a cabinet meeting in Ankara on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the targeting of commercial vessels in Türkiye's exclusive economic zone marked a worrying escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stressing that Ankara had issued warnings to all relevant parties against actions that threaten navigation safety in its waters. ■