Video: Sanctioned tanker grounded after Ukrainian strike refloated by Turkish authorities

The Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety reported on 16 January that 2006-built Aframax Qendil, which had run aground near Bozcaada, was successfully refloated and freed from its position under the co-ordination of its salvage experts. The operation involved an emergency response vessel, two tugs, and two additional boats.

MarineTraffic’s latest navigational update, as of 19 January, lists the vessel as ’at anchor’ at Canakkale anchorage, after previously being ’aground.’

According to MarineTraffic, the tanker had initially dropped anchor southwest of Bozcaada in waters of sufficient depth. For reasons not yet disclosed, the vessel began drifting toward the coast, eventually grounding approximately 100 m from the shoreline.

In December, international media described an earlier Ukrainian attack on the vessel, which took place off the coast of Libya, as a “new, unprecedented special operation,” citing sources within Ukraine’s Security Service. No injuries or pollution were reported.

At the time of the Ukrainian strike, Qendil, sanctioned by both the EU and the UK, was en route from Sikka, India, to Ust-Luga, Russia.

Equasis records show that the tanker’s ISM manager is based in China, while ownership is Indian. MarineTraffic notes that Qendil has changed owners three times and its registration flag six times over the past three years.

Qendil is one of many tankers caught in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, primarily in the Black Sea but increasingly in other regions as well. In a recent related incident, two Greek-managed tankers were struck by unidentified drones near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal.