ISTANBUL (AP) 鈥� The Turkish government has condemned on two Russian 鈥渟hadow fleet鈥� oil tankers in the Black Sea.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said the attacks on the Kairos and Virat vessels happened inside Turkey鈥檚 exclusive economic zone and 鈥渉ave posed serious risks to navigation, life, property and environmental safety in the region.鈥�
In a social media post late Saturday, Keceli added that Turkey is carrying out talks with 鈥渢he relevant parties鈥� to prevent the spread of the war in Ukraine across the Black Sea and to protect Turkey鈥檚 economic interests.
Ukraine has said it used to hit the tankers in quick succession off Turkey鈥檚 Black Sea coast late Friday afternoon. Crew members on board both vessels were reported to be safe.
The OpenSanctions database, which tracks people or organizations involved in sanctions evasion, describes the vessels as part of a fleet of ships used to evade sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 .
Ukraine has carried out successful naval strikes against Russian shipping during the war, particularly using explosives-packed marine drones. However, Ukrainian missions have previously largely been limited to the waters of the northern Black Sea.
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