Ukrainian strike leaves sanctioned oil tanker stranded off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast

SOFIA, Bulgaria Bulgarian maritime authorities began operations on Saturday to evacuate the crew of the oil tanker Kairos, which is stranded off the Black Sea town of Ahtopol. The vessel is believed to be part of the so-called shadow fleet used by Russia to bypass international sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine.

The 274-meter, Gambian-flagged Kairos caught fire last week following a reported strike by Ukrainian naval drones near the Turkish coastline in the Black Sea. At the time, the tanker was traveling empty from Egypt to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. Built in 2002, the 149,000-ton vessel previously sailed under Panamanian, Greek, and Liberian flags. It was sanctioned by the European Union in July and later by the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

On Friday, the tanker entered Bulgarian waters under tow from a Turkish ship. However, the operation was abruptly halted, leaving the vessel drifting powerless before it eventually ran aground less than a nautical mile from shore.

Rumen Nikolov, head of rescue operations at the Bulgarian Maritime Agency, stated that authorities are seeking clarification through diplomatic channels on why the tanker was brought into Bulgarias waters. He reassured that the empty vessel remains stable despite adverse weather and poses no immediate threat to the crew or the environment. All 10 crew members of different nationalities are reported to be safe, with sufficient provisions for roughly three days. Once conditions improve, the ship will be moved to a secure location, Nikolov added.

Anton Zlatanov, head of border police, confirmed on Nova TV that the crew had followed instructions to drop anchor and that the tanker is currently stable off Ahtopol. The crew has requested evacuation, but authorities emphasized the operation must be carried out as safely as possible. The tanker is being closely monitored via radio communications, thermal cameras on shore, and radar, while contact with the crew is maintained.

Author: Riley Thompson