On December 2, Turkish and Russian maritime authorities confirmed that the Russian-owned Midvolga-2 tanker was attacked while moving in the Black Sea, about 130km north of the Turkish city of Sinop.
Analysis of the scene, including holes in the cockpit roof and scattered debris, shows a high possibility that the ship was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The incident occurred while the Midvolga-2 was carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia. Fortunately, all 13 crew members were safe and the ship moved towards Sinop port without any rescue.
However, the attack was particularly serious because it took place more than 540km from the territory controlled by Ukraine, raising many questions about the long-range attack capabilities and guidance methods of the weapons used.
This is the third attack on ships related to Russia in the Black Sea in just the past three days.
Earlier, on November 28, two other tankers, Kairos and Virat, were also attacked off the coast of Turkey.
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the two incidents, confirming the use of the self-made unmanned suicide boat (USV) Sea Baby.
However, in the case of the Midvolga-2 ship, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has firmly denied any involvement and said that this could be a staged scenario.
Military experts say that to attack a mobile target at such a long distance using UAVs, a very complex guidance system is needed, which can be operated via satellite or controlled from a nearby mother ship.
The consecutive incidents came shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Putin issued a strong warning that the conflict in Ukraine was spreading and directly threatening international maritime safety.
"Targeting civil vessels in our exclusive economic zone is a sign of worrying escalation," Putin stressed.
The second Secretary affirmed that he could not justify these attacks in any form and had sent a warning to all relevant parties.
The attacked ships are said to belong to Russia's "dark fleet" - a network of aging and uncontrolled ships that helps Moscow transport oil to avoid Western sanctions.
The conflict spreading to international waters in the Black Sea is pushing regional security risks to the highest level since the conflict broke out.
