Bosphorus Closed After Tanker Previously Damaged by Houthis Breaks Down
Vessel traffic along the busy sea lane in the Bosphorus was suspended today, December 26, by Turkish officials as they dealt with a disabled tanker. It is the latest in a series of incidents with tankers operating in the Russian oil trade that experienced mechanical problems in the seaway.
Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety reports it dispatched three tugs, Kurtarma-8, Kurtarma-10, and Kurtarma-11, to tow the disabled vessel to the Ah?rkap? Anchorage Area. While the operation was underway traffic was suspended in both the north and southbound lanes.
The tanker, Cordelia Moon (163,288 dwt) was bound to Novorossiysk after undergoing repairs from damage it suffered in an attack by the Houthi. The ship was attacked and damaged by the Houthis at the beginning of October in a barrage including missiles, drones, and a bomb boat. Videos of the security team attempting to explode the bomb boat were posted online.
The tanker, which is managed from India and registered in Panama, was empty for the trip to Russia. Turkish authorities are saying it experienced an engine failure.
Yalova’dan Rusya’ya seyir halindeyken ?stanbul Bo?az? Yeniköy önlerinde makine ar?za yapan CORDELIA MOON isimli 274 m boyundaki tanker, ?stanbul GTH Merkezimiz koordinasyonunda ve K?lavuz Kaptan?m?z refakatinde, pic.twitter.com/38YHltwmso
— KEGM (@kiyiemniyet) December 26, 2024
It was the latest in a series of incidents involving tankers in the Russian oil trade. Last month, a smaller product tanker registered in Panama, Nazan (4,600 dwt) also forced a temporary closure. The vessel reported a rudder malfunction. In August, another product tanker the Sredina (34,800 dwt) also reported an engine malfunction while in the Bosphorus. The sea lanes were again closed by the tanker which was traveling from Russia to Libya.
Earlier this week, Greek authorities detained an unidentified tanker also sailing from Russia after it was involved in a collision in a lane east of Piraeus. The tanker and a cargo ship collided and while there were no injuries the authorities were seeking to determine the cause of the collision.