The Altura, a tanker subject to sanctions, was attacked near Turkey: what is known
26 March 18:52
The oil tanker Altura was attacked by a maritime drone in the Black Sea near the Bosphorus.
According to the Turkish publication Haber Denizde, the attack took place 14 nautical miles from the strait. The tanker was subject to sanctions from several countries and international jurisdictions, reports [Komersant].
What happened
According to sources, the maritime drone struck the ship’s bridge.
As a result of the explosion:
- the upper part of the ship was damaged;
- the engine room was flooded;
- the crew was unharmed.
According to Bloomberg , there were 27 Turkish sailors on board; there were no fatalities or injuries.
The Turkish Coast Guard and emergency rescue services were dispatched to the scene.
In particular, the rescue vessel Nene Hatun and tugs were deployed.
What the tanker was carrying
The Suezmax-class vessel was transporting approximately:
- 1 million barrels of crude oil,
- or about 136–140 thousand tons.
It was Urals crude oil.
According to vessel tracking systems, the tanker was sailing from the port of Novorossiysk.
The vessel is subject to international sanctions
The tanker Altura is subject to sanctions from several jurisdictions:
- the European Union — since October 24, 2025;
- Switzerland — since December 13, 2025;
- Ukraine — also since December 13, 2025;
- The United Kingdom — since February 24, 2026.
How the ship’s ownership has changed
The tanker has changed owners and names several times.
Timeline:
- The vessel previously belonged to the Turkish company Beşiktaş Denizcilik and was named Beşiktaş Dardanelles;
- in May 2024, it was acquired by the Panamanian company Kayseri Shipping and renamed Kayseri;
- In November 2025, the ship was bought by the Istanbul-based company Pergamon Denizcilik and renamed Altura.
Possible ties to Iranian elites
Hector Varela de León, the founder of Kayseri Shipping, was sanctioned by the U.S. in July 2025.
At the same time, according to investigators, the actual owner of the company may have been Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani—the son of former Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, who died in February 2026.
No official response yet
At this time, there has been no official confirmation or response from governments or military agencies regarding the incident.
At the same time, the attack occurred on one of the most critical energy routes—near the Bosphorus,
through which a significant portion of oil exports from the Black Sea region passes.
