Milan, 26 March (LaPresse) – The captain of the Altura, a Turkish oil tanker flying the Sierra Leonean flag and en route from Russia, reported by radio that the vessel had been attacked in the Black Sea, 14 miles from the Bosphorus Strait, near Istanbul. On this matter, the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, stated: “We believe this was not a drone attack, but rather an attack by an unmanned underwater vehicle. The explosion was caused by an external source, a deliberate attack aimed at rendering the ship unusable, particularly the engine room. None of the 27 Turkish crew members suffered any health problems or injuries.” This was reported by Hurriyet. The oil tanker Altura, owned by the Turkish company Pergamon Shipping, is believed to have been attacked at around 00:30 after departing from Novorossiysk, Russia. The vessel, carrying 140,000 tonnes of crude oil, sent out a distress signal reporting that it was under attack. Radio communications indicated damage to the upper deck and the engine room. Radio recordings also revealed that no crew members were injured, but the vessel was taking on water and was awaiting assistance. The Erdek, the vessel closest to the Altura, responded to the call, whilst the Coast Guard’s Rescue 11 and Rescue 12 units, together with the fast patrol boat Coast Guard 5, were dispatched to the scene. Teams are continuing safety and rescue operations in the area and investigations into the vessel’s condition are ongoing.