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Sabotage Suspected as Mystery Blasts Hit Oil Tankers
OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA NEAR BENGHAZI, JUL 02 – The explosion on the Vilamoura tanker, carrying 1 million barrels of crude, is the fifth such suspected limpet mine attack this year linked to recent Russian port calls, analysts said.
- The Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker Vilamoura suffered an explosion in its engine room on June 27 while sailing off Libya's coast with about 1 million barrels of oil.
- The incident follows a series of unexplained blasts this year affecting tankers that recently called at Russian ports, leading to speculation about limpet mine attacks amid ongoing Western sanctions on Russia.
- TMS Tankers, the vessel operator, reported no injuries or pollution and said Vilamoura is being towed toward Greece, where a full damage assessment is expected after its arrival on July 2.
- Vilamoura had previously called at the Russian ports of Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk while carrying Kazakh crude, and Vanguard Tech noted the vessel's presence there could be linked to the explosion off Libya.
- The attacks underscore the dangers faced by ships linked to Russia's oil commerce and may compel Moscow to rethink its strategy in the region, potentially influencing Russian-Iranian ties amid continuing geopolitical strains.
73 Articles
73 Articles
A series of mysterious explosions on oil tankers in and around the Mediterranean Sea has captivated the maritime world. In just six months, five tankers – all linked to the Russian oil trade – have been damaged by an unexplained explosion. Although Ukraine has remained silent on the matter, some security experts suspect that the country is behind it.
Five different oil tankers have been damaged by magnetic mine explosions this year. All five were docked in Russian ports in the weeks before the explosions, drawing suspicion of sabotage to Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year of resisting a Russian invasion. Kiev has not yet commented on the situation, but its security forces have been responsible for several similar operations.
Attacks on Russia Related Ships Smell Of British / Ukrainian Cooperation - LewRockwell
This now seems to happen with some regularity: An explosion struck the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Vilamoura, carrying approximately one million barrels of crude, off Libya’s coast, according to its Greek operator, TMS Tankers. – Greek City Times, Jul 1 2025 The explosion flooded the engine room, disabling the vessel. TMS Tankers reported that the ship, which departed from Zueitina, Libya, en route to Gibraltar, will be towed to Greece o…
A series of mysterious explosions on oil ships caused concern in the global maritime industry, suggesting that the attacks could be part of a State- sponsored satellite campaign. Russia? Ukraine? Libya? Financial Times launched a survey.
A tanker attributed to the Russian shadow fleet was damaged in an explosion. It is not the first such incident.
Security experts and shipowners across Europe suspect that a series of mysterious mine attacks on oil tankers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea are sabotage, the British daily "Financial Times" reported today.
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