Russian drones damaged Turkish LPG vessel in Izmail

1. What happened — two related but distinct incidents

Reporting describes two different episodes that have involved Turkish vessels or vessels linked to Turkey. First, Midvolga‑2, a Russian‑flagged tanker said to be carrying sunflower oil, reported coming under a drone attack roughly 130 km off Turkey’s Black Sea coast on Dec. 2; Turkish maritime authorities said the crew were safe and the ship sailed to Sinop ^{[2] [1]}. Second, on Dec. 12 Russia carried out strikes on Ukrainian ports — using drones and ballistic missiles by account of Ukrainian and other reporting — that damaged three Turkish‑owned ships in Odesa region ports ^{[3] [4]}.

2. Who is blaming whom — competing narratives and context

These incidents sit inside a tit‑for‑tat maritime campaign. Ukraine has been striking what it calls Russia’s “shadow fleet” — tankers it accuses of evading sanctions — using naval drones, and Kyiv has been publicly linked to attacks on several tankers in the northern Black Sea ^{[5] [6]}. Moscow has threatened retaliation, vowing to “cut Ukraine off from the sea,” and days later Russian strikes hit Ukrainian ports, which Ukrainian officials say targeted civilian logistics and commercial shipping ^{[2] [4]}. Turkish authorities have condemned attacks in their EEZ as dangerous for navigation ^[7].

3. Weapons and methods reported — drones, naval drones, ballistic missiles

Sources identify multiple weapon types. The November–December incidents off Turkey and in the Black Sea involved kamikaze or naval drones in at least some cases — footage and Turkish reports point to kamikaze or marine drones hitting tankers ^{[8] [5]}. In the Dec. 12 port strikes, Ukrainian and Western reporting says Russia used drones and ballistic missiles against port infrastructure and ships ^{[3] [4]}. Formal forensic attribution varies by incident and source.

4. Damage and casualties — commercial ships, not military targets

Reporting stresses that the Midvolga‑2 crew were unharmed and the ship continued to port after reporting the attack ^[1]. The Dec. 12 strikes on Odesa and Chornomorsk caused fires and damaged port infrastructure and several civilian vessels; Reuters cited three Turkish‑owned ships damaged and at least one injury reported in related strikes ^[3]. Al Jazeera quotes Ukrainian officials who described the port strikes as targeting civilian logistics and commercial shipping ^[4].

5. Implications for maritime safety and trade — Turkey in a tough spot

Turkey faces repeated incidents inside or near its Exclusive Economic Zone; Turkish leaders have called attacks in the Black Sea a “worrying escalation” and warned they pose risks to navigation and life ^{[8] [7]}. The attacks have already prompted shipowners to rethink Russia‑related voyages and increased scrutiny on routes and nautical security, with potential knock‑on effects for grain and energy exports through Black Sea corridors ^{[1] [6]}.

6. Evidence limitations and open questions

Open-source accounts make clear that footage and claims exist for several strikes, but attribution remains contested. Some incidents have video that analysts and officials cite ^{[3] [5]}, while others are described via vessel reports and maritime authority posts on X without independent battlefield forensics in every case ^{[1] [2]}. Available sources do not mention forensic details proving every weapon type for each strike nor do they provide a full, independent chain of custody for all videos and claims ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

7. Competing agendas to watch — military, political, commercial

Each actor has clear incentives: Ukraine aims to choke revenue from Russian oil and to pressure Russia’s sea logistics ^{[5] [6]}; Russia frames strikes as retaliation and a way to retaliate against Ukraine’s naval drone campaign ^{[2] [4]}; Turkish officials balance NATO ties, Black Sea trade interests, and regional stability concerns while condemning attacks in their EEZ ^{[8] [7]}. Shipowners and insurers face commercial incentives to label incidents one way or another to influence routing and premiums ^{[1] [6]}.

8. Bottom line — heightened maritime risk, attribution still partial

There is clear, repeated reporting that drones and missiles have struck commercial shipping and ports in the Black Sea theatre, sometimes involving Turkish‑flagged or Turkish‑owned vessels ^{[1] [3] [2]}. But attribution for each individual strike varies across accounts and independent forensic detail is limited in some reports; readers should treat individual incident narratives as part of a broader, escalating maritime campaign with competing political narratives ^{[3] [5]}.