A Greek oil tanker carrying 24 crew members, including 10 Greek nationals, was struck by a suspected drone or small missile off the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea early Saturday morning.
The vessel, identified by Greece’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs as the Maran Homer (Registry No. 12502),owned and operated by Maran Tankers Management, which is a division of the Greek maritime conglomerate Angelicoussis Shipping Group, had previously departed from the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki. At the time of the incident, the tanker was operating under a commercial charter with the energy corporation Chevron. It was sailing without cargo when the attack occurred approximately 14 nautical miles off the Novorossiysk coastline.
Authorities confirmed that all 24 crew members, comprising 10 Greeks, 13 Filipinos, and one Romanian national, are safe and unharmed. The ship sustained material damage strictly to its starboard side and is currently navigating away from the immediate area of the strike. The exact nature of the projectile remains under investigation, though preliminary assessments point to a small missile or an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Nonetheless, the origin of the attack has not been made public yet.
Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs Vassilis Kikilias provided details of the incident during a televised Saturday morning interview on Greece’s state-run ERT News TV channel. He stated that the government in Athens is treating the matter with severe urgency. Kikilias confirmed he has fully briefed both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister regarding the situation in the Black Sea.
Kikilias announced that Greece will lodge strong formal diplomatic protests to the perpetrators. He indicated these actions will be elevated to the highest diplomatic tiers, including the European Council.
What the Greek government says about the attack on the Greek tanker in the Black Sea
“I consider the targeting of our Greek-flagged and Greek-owned ships, which are legally chartered, to be unacceptable and highly dangerous,” Kikilias stated. He reinforced the position that commercial shipping operators and seafarers must remain isolated from military engagements, emphasizing that global trade cannot function without a secure merchant marine sector.
Addressing the potential motives behind the attack, the Minister suggested the strike likely functions as a calculated pressure tactic by regional actors. He pointed to a possible connection between the assault and recent international policy decisions that authorized a temporary, partial resumption of Russian oil and natural gas shipments for a limited one-month period.
“The situation occupies and worries me, and we are monitoring it closely,” Kikilias noted. He reiterated that Greek sailors and international crews are strictly executing their commercial duties and should be kept completely out of regional political and military disputes. The Black Sea remains a volatile maritime corridor, heavily impacting international shipping operations due to ongoing regional hostilities.
It has to be noted that the attack most likely came from the Ukrainian side, however, it is evident that Greek authorities are trying to avoid blaming them directly.
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