Russian Oil Tankers Cleave to Turkish Coast to Cut Drone Risks

Oil tankers hauling Russian crude across the Black Sea are taking a roundabout route along the coastlines of Georgia and Turkey — a measure that might help them to reduce the risk of being targeted by Ukrainian sea drones.

Vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows at least two tankers that recently loaded cargoes at Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk taking a coastal route to the Bosphorus, rather than making the more normal trip straight across the middle of the sea. The detour adds about 350 miles, or 70%, to the journey from the port to the Turkish straits.