Liberian-Flagged Tanker Banda Runs Aground Near Istanbul After Black Sea Storm
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The Liberian-flagged tanker Banda ran aground on October 15 in the Sariyer district, in the northern area of Istanbul on the Black Sea, after a severe storm with strong winds and heavy seas caused it to lose control. The Turkish Coast Guard responded to the incident and confirmed that the six crew members on board, all Turkish nationals, are in good condition and did not request assistance.
Background of the Drone Attack
The Banda, a 105,576 deadweight-ton tanker, had been attacked on July 14 by a Ukrainian naval drone while sailing empty about 70 nautical miles southwest of the Russian port of Novorossiysk, en route to load crude oil. The strike hit near the stern, causing an explosion and fire, and resulted in water ingress that flooded the engine room, leaving the vessel without power. According to Ukraine's Security Service, the tanker had previously carried Russian crude oil from the ports of Ust-Luga, Kerch, Novorossiysk, and Nakhodka.
Previous Salvage Operation
The salvage company Tsavliris Group deployed a rescue tug and a team that began towing the tanker on July 17 and boarded the vessel to carry out repairs starting July 22. The team stabilized the ship, installed a portable generator, and carried out repairs to the crew accommodation block, before delivering the tanker to a Turkish anchorage on August 19. Turkish authorities also indicated that the vessel may have been struck a second time on September 2, although no details were provided about that incident.
A Second Grounding in the Area
The grounding of the Banda occurred just days after another drone-damaged tanker, the Liberian-flagged Grace Romavictor, ran aground near Çilingöz Nature Park in the Çatalca district, after its towline broke due to bad weather. Unlike the Banda, the Grace Romavictor had no crew on board, and authorities detected no signs of fuel spillage or marine pollution. Turkey's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the Directorate General of Coastal Safety, along with the response vessel Nene Hatun, monitored the situation of both vessels, while the Banda is expected to be refloated from the shore once the storm subsides.
