A tanker seemingly operating without a valid flag registration caught fire in the Black Sea on Friday after reporting an external impact approximately 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
The vessel Kairos, which was traveling in ballast en route to Russia’s Novorossiysk port, reported the incident with all 25 crew members reported to be in good condition. Turkish rescue units were dispatched to evacuate the seafarers, with the ministry stating the situation was being closely monitored.
Reuters reported that, according to shipping agency Tribeca, the explosion and fire originated in the engine room when the vessel was approximately 52 miles north of the Bosphorus Strait. Reports indicate the ship may have struck a mine and could be in danger of sinking.
Maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann of Windward AI revealed that Kairos was among 72 vessels recently deleted from the Gambian ship registry for fraudulently issued certificates. “So this vessel is flagless, stateless, and any insurance and class (if it has any) is invalidated by the fact that it’s falsely purporting to fly the flag of Gambia,” Bockmann stated on X.
“The ship is in ballast, which is the lesser of two evils, but I’ve long maintained the dark fleet is an accident waiting to happen and incidents like this are but a harbinger of what is to come,” Bockmann added.
The incident did not disrupt shipping traffic through the Bosphorus Strait, which continued normal operations, according to Tribeca.
The so-called “dark fleet” refers to vessels operating outside normal regulatory oversight, often used to circumvent international sanctions. These ships frequently lack proper insurance, safety certifications, and flag state oversight, raising concerns about environmental and safety risks in international waters.