War-Damaged Tankers Run Aground Near Istanbul

Two tankers previously damaged in Ukraine's Black Sea drone campaign ran aground on Turkey's Black Sea coast near Istanbul during a storm in mid-October 2026.

BANDA (Liberia, 105,576 dwt) drifted ashore off Kısırkaya in Istanbul's Sarıyer district after strong winds and rough seas caused it to lose control. Six Turkish crew were aboard. Turkey's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said their safety was not under threat and dispatched the emergency response ship Nene Hatun as a precaution. Officials expect BANDA to be refloated once the storm passes. The crude tanker had been struck near Novorossiysk and towed to a Turkish anchorage by August 2026 following salvage by Tsavliris Group.

GRACE ROMAVICTOR (49,990 dwt) ran aground near Çilingöz Nature Park in Istanbul's Çatalca district. The tanker had departed on 12 October under tow by the Cameroon-flagged tug ATHLETIC, bound for İğneada Port. The towline parted in the high seas. No crew was aboard. Turkish Coast Guard inspections found no fuel leakage or marine pollution.

Turkey has dealt with a run of war-damaged tankers washing ashore since Ukraine's Black Sea drone campaign intensified. The Aframax Rio caught fire and spilled oil in the Black Sea off Sochi in early October, and ABLE sank in Bulgaria's Black Sea zone after a drone struck. Bulgaria and Romania have pressed for a moratorium on attacks or a safe corridor through the sea.