Third Russian-Linked Oil Tanker Hit by Explosions in Three Days – This Time Off Senegal
Russian, 2 December 2025 (BNN Web Staff) –
An oil tanker carrying diesel was struck by four powerful external explosions on Monday, December 1, 2025, approximately 70 km off the coast of Dakar, Senegal – marking the third incident in just three days targeting vessels with recent ties to Russian petroleum trade.
The Turkish-flagged Mersin, managed by Istanbul-based Besiktas Shipping, suffered significant damage when seawater flooded the engine room. Despite the severity of the attack, the company confirmed:
- The vessel remains stable and afloat
- All 22 crew members are safe and accounted for
- No oil spill or environmental pollution has occurred
“The explosions were external in origin,” Besiktas Shipping stated on its website, adding that it is fully cooperating with Senegalese authorities, classification societies, and insurers to investigate the cause.
Ongoing Emergency Response
Senegal’s port authority (ANAM) reported that the Mersin has taken on considerable water but has now been stabilized with the help of tugboats providing constant assistance. Emergency teams are:
- Sealing hull breaches to restore watertight integrity
- Preparing to transfer the diesel cargo to another vessel under strict monitoring to prevent any shift that could destabilize the ship
Part of a Wider Pattern
The Mersin is the third tanker with documented Russian port calls to be targeted since Friday:
- Two empty Russia-linked tankers were hit by underwater explosions in the Black Sea late last week
- A source familiar with the matter confirmed Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) was responsible for those Black Sea incidents
While no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack off Senegal, shipping intelligence firm Kpler confirmed the Mersin had loaded gasoil (diesel) and made multiple visits to Russian ports throughout 2025.
The rapid succession of strikes highlights growing risks to the shadowy “dark fleet” of tankers that continue to move Russian oil in defiance of Western sanctions and the G7 price cap imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Authorities in Senegal and Turkey have launched parallel investigations, with international maritime agencies closely monitoring the situation as salvage and security operations continue in the Atlantic.
