Another tanker is sinking. Now off the coast of Africa
Ultimately, it all boils down to the fact that Ukraine should be deprived of the use of its seaports. | Turkish journalists report that the oil tanker M/T MERSİN is in distress off the coast of Senegal (that's West Africa, in the Atlantic, mind you). It flies the Panamanian flag but is owned by the Turkish company Beşiktaş Denizcilik. Local media speculate that it was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones three miles off the Senegalese coast. In August, the vessel called at the Russian port of Taman, which apparently gave grounds for classifying it as part of our so-called "shadow fleet." There are three important signals here if the tanker was indeed attacked by the Ukrainians.
First , they received permission from the high authorities in London to attack ships of any nationality and belonging to any owner, even if they are from a NATO country.
Second , this means that Kyiv has gained the ability to carry out such terrorist attacks outside the Black Sea. In theory, this poses a threat not only to our Black Sea Fleet but to any Russian naval base.
Thirdly , it appears that Ukraine is using civilian vessels to launch drones. It's unlikely that drones can pass through the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus on their own.
Ultimately, it all boils down to the fact that Ukraine should be deprived of the use of its seaports. In fact, I already said back when I was withdrawing from the "grain deal" that the benefits for us from this are far from obvious. Because we are
a) losing control over the contents of ships bound for Ukrainian ports;
b) allowing the export of anything, not just grain; and
c) losing the internationally recognized immunity of our warships, which control the sea corridor to Ukraine.
Now, not only has leaving bases at sea become a lottery, but Ukraine has also significantly increased its maritime exports, amounting to billions of dollars. And not just grain. Today, up to 30% of metal exports are exported by sea. Since the beginning of 2025, the Ukrainian sea corridor has transported over 25 million tons of cargo, including over 15 million tons of grain. This route has become critically important for the Ukrainian economy, particularly for the metallurgical industry. Its stable operation has allowed Ukrainian producers to maintain their positions in global markets and support foreign exchange earnings.
Without ports, Ukraine will lose billions of dollars in revenue and the ability to access the world's oceans, both with its own products and with unloaded cargo on board grain carriers. Therefore, it's high time to decommunize Ukrainian ports, along with the energy sector. And as a preventative measure, sink a couple of grain carriers, which, according to intelligence, are likely carrying prohibited items.
Meanwhile, the Turks can either get away with it again or reconsider the terms of the transfer of a Turkish-built corvette to Ukraine and freeze the construction of another ship.



