Three, not four, are finally the confirmed cases of Greek-owned tankers that were reportedly hit by unknown drones in the Black Sea on Tuesday while they were anchored and waiting to be loaded with crude oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal off Novorossiysk.
According to reports by the Greek maritime security and risk management company Diaplous, the three vessels for which the most credible evidence of involvement in the incident has so far been gathered are the MT Matilda, MT Delta Harmony and MT Delta Supreme. By contrast, TMS Tankers’ Freud is no longer included in confirmed reports of a collision.
The MT Matilda (IMO 9407457), a Maltese-flagged tanker managed by Thenamaris, is reported to have been hit while anchored in the CPC waiting area. No official assessment of the extent of the damage has been released.
The MT Delta Harmony (IMO 9408463), a Liberian-flagged tanker managed by Delta Tankers, is also reported to have been struck by drones. According to reports a fire broke out but was quickly extinguished, allowing the vessel to continue its voyage. However, there is no officially confirmed information regarding damages, casualties, or environmental pollution.
Τhe MT Delta Supreme (IMO 9585895), also managed by Delta Tankers, as a third tanker reportedly hit in the same maritime waiting zone. Details regarding the type of drone, the point of impact, and the extent of the damage remain unverified.
A common denominator in all three cases is the lack of verified information. It remains unclear whether the incidents involved aerial UAVs, surface USVs or a combination of both, or whether there was any involvement of tugboats, movement of moorings, or a suspension of loading operations by the competent authorities.