Greek-flagged tanker hit in Black Sea; All 24 crew members safe
Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, said the attack occurred near the port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.
According to the minister, 24 crew members were on board the vessel at the time of the incident, including 10 Greeks, 13 Filipinos and one Romanian. All crew members are reported to be safe and in good health. The vessel sustained only material damage.
Kikilias expressed strong concern about the escalation of tensions affecting global shipping routes, suggesting the incident may be linked to broader geopolitical pressures in the region. He indicated it could be connected to recent decisions allowing the limited resumption of Russian oil transport for a restricted period.
The minister said he had already informed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. Greece, he added, is prepared to lodge strong protests where necessary, including at the level of the European Council.
“I consider the targeting of vessels flying the Greek flag and Greek-owned ships unacceptable,” Kikilias said, noting that the vessels are chartered and that Greek seafarers and shipping companies are simply carrying out their work.
He also stressed that commercial shipping should remain outside armed conflicts and geopolitical disputes, emphasizing that “without shipping, international trade cannot exist.”
According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the tanker involved was the MARAN HOMER (N.P. 12502). The vessel had departed from the port of Thessaloniki bound for Novorossiysk and was empty at the time of the incident. The tanker had been chartered by Chevron.
