Oil tanker Maran Horo struck by unknown object in Black sea near Novorossiysk

A Greek-flagged crude oil tanker, Maran Homer, was struck by an unidentified object in the Black Sea near Russia’s port of Novorossiysk on 14 March 2026, while awaiting instructions to enter the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal.

The vessel was positioned outside Russian territorial waters and preparing to load Kazakh crude oil when the incident occurred at approximately 04:35 local time.

According to the vessel’s operator Maran Tankers, the impact caused minor damage to deck equipment, but the tanker remained seaworthy and continued operations. No injuries were reported among the 24 crew members onboard.

Authorities have not confirmed the source of the object, although reports suggest the possibility of a projectile or drone strike amid heightened security tensions in the Black Sea shipping corridor.

The tanker later departed the area after the incident, and no oil spill or environmental damage was reported.