Drone Hits Palau-Flagged Tanker in Black Sea

A Palau-flagged oil tanker bound for Russia was struck by a drone in the Black Sea on Wednesday, prompting the vessel to issue a distress call and divert toward the Turkish coast, maritime tracking data and security sources reported. The incident, which involved no injuries among the 25 crew members and no reported oil spill, occurred about 30 nautical miles off Turkey's northern shoreline as the Elbus sailed from Singapore to the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, a maritime data provider, the Elbus came under attack from an unmanned marine vehicle and a drone that targeted its engine room and upper sections. The tanker, which maintained propulsion under its own power, abruptly changed course eastward and anchored several kilometers offshore from İnebolu, a port on Turkey's Black Sea coast, by Thursday. Turkish Coast Guard teams responded to the distress signal, escorting the vessel to the area for assessment, local media reported. The ship is now at anchor awaiting inspection, with its navigational status listed as not under command.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and officials from Ukraine's Security Service did not...