Bulgarian maritime authorities have initiated a complex rescue operation for the crew of the Kairos oil tanker, which ran aground near the Black Sea port of Ahtopol following a suspected Ukrainian naval drone attack. The Gambian-flagged vessel, measuring 274 meters and weighing 149,000 tons, is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to circumvent international sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine conflict.
The vessel entered Bulgarian territorial waters on Friday while under tow by a Turkish ship, but the operation was unexpectedly abandoned, leaving the powerless tanker to drift before grounding less than a nautical mile from shore. The Kairos was traveling empty from Egypt toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk when it sustained damage in the recent attack.
Rumen Nikolov, head of rescue operations at the Bulgarian Maritime Agency, emphasized the need for diplomatic clarification regarding why the damaged vessel was brought into Bulgarian waters. Despite challenging weather conditions, authorities confirm the ship remains stable with no immediate environmental threat.
All ten multinational crew members are reported in good health with sufficient supplies for approximately three days. Border Police Chief Anton Zlatanov confirmed continuous communication with the crew, who have followed instructions to maintain anchor position. The crew has expressed willingness to evacuate pending safe execution of the operation.
The vessel, which has previously flown Panamanian, Greek, and Liberian flags before being sanctioned by the EU, UK, and Switzerland in July, is under comprehensive surveillance using thermal imaging, radar systems, and radio communications while authorities await improved weather conditions for safe towing.