Besiktas Shipping, the Turkish owner of the oil tanker damaged by four external explosions off Senegal last week, said it is immediately ending all shipping operations involving Russian interests. The tanker Mersin was anchored near Dakar on November 27 when the blasts struck, flooding the engine room. The cause remains unclear.
The company said it has always complied with international sanctions and the G7/EU price cap but can no longer justify the risk. It noted that regional security has "escalated considerably," prompting a full halt to Russia-related voyages to protect both crew and assets.
The incident came one day before Ukrainian naval drones struck two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea. Another Russia-flagged tanker reported a drone attack off Turkey's coast on Tuesday, though Ukraine denied involvement. Istanbul-based Besiktas Shipping operates a fleet of 29 tankers.
Further reading: Russian-flagged tanker reports attack off Turkish coast.