Giant Oil Tanker Struck by Missile Near Russia, Putin Responds

A Greek-flagged oil tanker was attacked by a missile or drone off the Russian coast in the Black Sea on Saturday, 14 March 2026. The attack on Maran Homer occurred following a series of incidents in recent months targeting crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions.

Greek Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias disclosed that the Maran Homer, carrying 24 sailors, was struck near the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Saturday. Kyiv has designated Russian oil and gas infrastructure in and around the Black Sea as a priority target for attacks.

Kikilias reported that the ship’s crew comprised ten Greek citizens, thirteen Filipinos, and one Romanian, with no injuries sustained. According to the relevant ministry, the tanker had recently departed Thessaloniki port before being struck by a missile or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at a distance of 14 nautical miles from the Russian coast.

Maran Tankers Management Inc, the vessel’s owner, stated that Maran Homer was awaiting its turn to enter the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) Terminal. The ship was scheduled to receive a cargo of crude oil from Kazakhstan, but the attack caused material damage to the deck and deck equipment.

Kikilias strongly condemned the action, characterising the attack on the Greek civilian vessel as crossing a line. The Greek government affirmed it would bring the matter to international forums as a formal protest.

“Attacks on civilian vessels flying the Greek flag and owned by Greece are unacceptable. We will lodge a protest at the Council of Europe level,” Kikilias stated firmly.

This incident followed a similar event the previous week, in which the Russian-flagged LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz was struck by a Ukrainian unmanned boat in the Mediterranean Sea off Malta. Thirty crew members from the Russian vessel were successfully rescued by emergency teams from Russia and Malta.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a strong statement regarding the attacks on energy transport vessels. He categorised the incident in those waters as a criminal act. “The incident is a terrorist attack,” Putin said.

Earlier in January 2026, Kazakhstan’s state oil company KazMunayGas (KMG) reported that the oil tanker Matilda, flying the Maltese flag, was also targeted by a Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea. The vessel was assigned to collect cargo from Novorossiysk port as part of CPC consortium operations.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium project is partly owned by American oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil. In November 2025, Ukrainian naval drones also disrupted operations of that project, with consequences for global energy distribution.