Sierra Leonean Flagged Ship Attacked in Foreign Waters
Sorie Abubakar A Sierra Leonean flagged oil tanker, the Altura came under attack in the Black Sea, close to Turkey on Saturday morning.
The Altura is a Russian operated tanker flying the Sierra Leonean flag. Reports from Moscow indicates that the ship was transporting about 1 million barrels of Russian crude oil from Novorossiysk port when it was hit just after Friday midnight.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Transportation Minister, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said his government became aware of the attack after an emergency signal from the blast.
Although Ukraine is yet to claim responsibility for the attack, experts are pointing fingers at the European country based on previous attacks along the Black Sea. In last year December, Ukraine delivered similar attacks on Russian operated vessels. However, this is the first attack on a Sierra Leonean flagged ship in the Black Sea since the war started.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyio Erdoğan has criticised the attack calling on warring factions to stop using the Black Sea as a battle ground.
But I believe is the most peaceful country in the world