Two ships of Russia's sanctioned shadow fleet caught fire in the Black Sea off Türkiye

Turkish authorities reported that two oil tankers linked to the notorious Russian "shadow fleet" which are on the international sanctions list, caught fire on Friday in the Black Sea near the Bosporus Strait, triggering an extensive rescue operation.

The first ship, the Gambia-flagged Kairos, exploded and caught fire about 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast of Kocaeli province, while sailing without cargo from Egypt to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, the Turkish Transport Ministry reported.

Shortly afterwards, a second tanker, the Virat, was reported to have been 'struck' in another area of the Black Sea, about 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast.

Turkish maritime authorities explained that the first incident was reportedly caused by an "external impact", but did not provide further details on the attack's origin.

The dynamics remain unclear, and the authorities do not rule out an explosion caused by naval mines or a targeted attack. There have been incidents of ships hitting drifting mines in the Black Sea in recent years.

Pending further verification, the maritime authorities maintain a high level of alert and monitor the situation to prevent new incidents and ensure the safety of ship traffic in the Bosporus area.

History of sanctions against the ships Kairos and Virat

The crews of the two ships were rescued thanks to the rapid intervention of the coast guard and rescue units: 25 people on board the Kairos and 20 on the Virat.

The ships are on the list of those subject to international sanctions, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and are identified as part of the fleet of old cargo ships used by Moscow to circumvent restrictions on Russian crude oil.

According to the website OpenSanctions, the US sanctioned Virat in January this year, followed by the EU, Switzerland, the UK and Canada.

The EU then sanctioned Kairos in July this year, followed by the UK and Switzerland.

"The shadow oil tanker fleet continues to provide multibillion-dollar revenues to the Kremlin by circumventing sanctions, disguising its activities under the flags of third countries, using complex schemes to disguise owners, and posing a significant environmental threat," OpenSanctions writes.

The 2018-built Virat has previously sailed under the flags of Barbados, Comoros, Liberia and Panama, while the 2002-built Cairos has flown the flags of Panama, Greece and Liberia.

Friday's incidents raised serious concerns about the possible environmental impact and safety of shipping in the Black Sea, an area already considered high-risk after years of war and the presence of ordnance from previous conflicts.