VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A Malta-flagged oil tanker, the Matilda, was damaged in a drone strike off the Black Sea coast earlier this week, according to Russian authorities. The Greek-owned vessel, chartered by a Kazakh oil company, was attacked near Anapa in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region on January 13.
Russian officials claim the Matilda was hit by two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Despite the attack, the tanker’s crew were unharmed, and the ship safely reached Romanian waters on Thursday morning. A fire reportedly broke out on board but was quickly extinguished, and the damage has been described as “fully repairable” by the ship’s owners.
The Maltese authorities have yet to issue any statements regarding the attack. Malta, whose maritime sector is the largest in the European Union by tonnage, has seen its shipping industry expand significantly in recent years, contributing an estimated 14 per cent of national GDP in 2022. The Matildaincident underscores the risks faced by Malta-flagged vessels amid the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe. Shipping analysts warn that while no Maltese lives were lost, the attack highlights growing vulnerabilities for vessels operating under the island nation’s flag in conflict zones.
Greece condemned the strikes and said its foreign minister would raise the issue at the European level. Kazakhstan also issued a statement denouncing the attack. Both the Matilda and another vessel, the Delta Harmony, were en route to the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, which handles Kazakh oil for global markets as well as some Russian crude.
The strikes come amid Ukraine’s ongoing campaign to target Russian infrastructure. The Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal was previously hit in November, causing a sharp drop in Kazakh oil exports the following month. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
