Ukraine-Russia war live: Black Sea oil tanker struck by drones as Trump ‘urges Kyiv to give up land’

Altura, a Turkish-owned crude oil tanker, was carrying around 1 million barrels of crude oil after leaving a port in Russia.

On Thursday, the tanker carrying 27 crew members was hit by drones about 14 miles off Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait, Turkish media reported.

Rescue vessels from the Turkish Coastal Safety General Directorate, along with the fast boat Coastal Safety 5, were dispatched to the scene.

An industrial area near one of Russia’s largest oil refineries was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack, a Russian official said on Thursday.

More than 20 drones were shot down over the northern Leningrad region, according to governor Alexander Drozdenko.“The attack is being repelled over the Kirishi district. There is damage in the industrial area,” Drozdenko said on Telegram.

He did not specify what part of the site was affected, but the town of Kirishi is home to one of Russia’s biggest refineries – Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez plant – which was repeatedly targeted by Ukraine last year.

According to industry sources, the refinery processed 17.5 million metric tonnes of oil (around 350,000 barrels per day) in 2024, accounting for about 6.6% of Russia’s total refining volume.

It produced around 2 million tonnes of gasoline, 7.1 million tonnes of diesel, 6.1 million tonnes of fuel oil and 600,000 tonnes of bitumen.Separately, Russia’s Baltic Sea ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga – key export hubs – suspended loadings of crude oil and petroleum products following Ukrainian drone attacks on Wednesday, two sources said.

Russian officials had earlier reported a fire at Ust-Luga following a Ukrainian drone strike.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that at least 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity has been disrupted by Ukrainian drone attacks, a disputed incident involving a major pipeline, and the seizure of tankers.

Internet access in Moscow is reportedly beginning to stabilise after a three-week disruption, with independent Russian outlet The Bell reporting Wednesday that the blackout was

ordered by the government.

Citing sources in the local IT sector, the report said the Scientific and Technical Service Department of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) received instructions “from above” to shut down internet access in response to unspecified security threats.

According to the sources, the FSB provided internet providers with a map indicating areas of Moscow where access should be cut, while signalling that the decision was not theirs.

In early March, Russian authorities introduced a “whitelist” system allowing access only to selected websites during mobile internet outages. These included pro-government social media platforms, media outlets and official state websites.

Officials initially said the disruptions were part of testing the new system, but some have since linked them to unspecified security threats, The Bell reported. Similar outages have also been reported in St Petersburg.

The near month-long disruption marks the first time Moscow has faced such widespread internet restrictions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has also stepped up pressure on messaging platforms. In the summer of 2025, its telecommunications regulator began blocking voice calls on Telegram, and officials are now reportedly moving towards a full ban on the app, which could come into force as early as April.

Sources cited by The Bell said the criteria for selecting affected areas in Moscow remain unclear. At least two appeared to correspond with locations where air defence systems are deployed, though other known sites were not included on the map.

The Turkish crude oil tanker Altura has been hit by a drone about 15 nautical miles (28km) off Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait, broadcaster NTV reported on Thursday, adding that all 27 crew members were safe.

The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel had departed from Russia’s port of Novorossiysk carrying around 1 million barrels of crude oil, according to ship-tracking data. It is under sanctions from the European Union and Britain.

NTV said there was an explosion on the bridge of the ship, which is owned by Turkish firm Besiktas, after it was struck in the Black Sea.

The engine room also took on water.

The vessel then requested assistance, and a Turkish coast guard ship, along with an emergency response vessel, was dispatched. There were no reported casualties.

The tanker, which is under European Union sanctions and listed as part of a “shadow fleet” on MarineTraffic, was reportedly struck by both a drone and an unmanned surface vessel.

Damage was reported to the upper section of the ship as well as the engine room.

Fragments of a drone downed by Ukrainian air defences fell on Romanian territory, the Romanian defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

“The drone fell just outside the village of Parches in the border county of Tulcea. No damage was recorded,” the ministry said.

It added that the drone had been destroyed by Ukrainian air defences during an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine.

Zimbabwe has confirmed the deaths of 15 of its citizens who were recruited into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as authorities issue warnings about widespread fraudulent schemes luring individuals from several African nations into the four-year-old war.

Information Minister Zhemu Soda announced in Harare that the government is intensifying diplomatic efforts to repatriate 66 other Zimbabweans who are still alive. He revealed that victims from Zimbabwe were enticed by “fraudulent” employment agencies offering “deceptive and lucrative job offers,” primarily using “social media platforms as their primary hunting ground.”

Soda detailed the “pattern” of these schemes: victims are promised attractive salaries and safe working conditions, only to have their travel documents confiscated and be “coerced into active combat.” He added, “They receive little to no training and are placed in life-threatening situations. When they are injured, killed or captured, the recruiters vanish, leaving families in Zimbabwe with no information, no support and no one to hold accountable. In many cases, the promised remuneration is never paid.”

Relatives and friends of Ukrainian servicemen gathered in Kyiv to draw attention to those still in captivity, missing in action, or killed in the war but whose bodies have not yet been returned.

Several family members held banners with pictures of their missing loved ones in Kyiv on Wednesday.

More than 90,000 Ukrainians are officially registered as missing due to the, Ukraine’s commissioner for missing persons in February.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine has expertise in defending against drones, and Gulf states are showing a strong interest in taking Kyiv’s help.

“We already see that not only ‘shaheds’ are being used in the region, but there is also growing evidence of the use of FPV drones,” he said on X, referring to First-Person View drones, which provide a real-time, live video feed from an on-board camera.

“This is modern warfare, and everyone must be prepared for it. Ukraine has this expertise, and in exchange for our support we need help in areas where we face greater challenges.

“This includes protection against ballistic threats and financial resources for defence. Ukraine offers a mutually beneficial partnership: we can strengthen those who can strengthen us.

“The situation in the world now is such that only coordinated and joint actions can guarantee real results and genuine security. We are being blocked in Europe, and as long as this risk remains, we must seek out additional opportunities to strengthen ourselves.

“The Middle East and the Gulf are the right direction and serious opportunities to make Ukraine stronger.”

Foreign ministers from the world’s leading Western democracies meet in France this week against the backdrop of wars in Iran and Ukraine, and mounting unease over an increasingly unpredictable US foreign policy.

The G7 foreign ministers are expected to push back against any attempt to force Ukraine into an unfavourable peace deal.

The talks come as negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have stalled, raising concerns in Europe that the United States could pressure Kyiv into concessions as it seeks a quick diplomatic breakthrough.

European officials said they would stress to US secretary of state Marco Rubio that any agreement must not undermine Ukraine’s security, calling instead for tougher sanctions on Moscow and sustained military support for Kyiv.

They are also expected to focus on preparing Ukraine for another winter of war, including protecting its energy infrastructure from continued Russian strikes.

The meeting, which Ukraine’s foreign minister is attending, comes against the backdrop of growing unease among allies over Washington’s shifting foreign policy and its handling of both Ukraine and the Middle East conflict.

The two-day gathering at the restored 12th-century Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, about 40km (25 miles) southwest of Paris, brings together ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and the EU.

“We will reiterate firm support for Kyiv and for US mediation efforts, stressing the need to maintain strong pressure on Moscow through sanctions,” an Italian diplomatic source said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia is counting on the United States losing interest in Ukraine if peace talks drag on, warning there is a real risk Washington could disengage.

Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky said Moscow was betting that stalled negotiations would lead the US to “walk away”, as a fourth round of trilateral talks scheduled for this month was postponed due to the Iran conflict.

He also questioned whether Russia would be willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands more troops to seize the remaining parts of Donbas it does not control – around 6,000 square kilometres.

Zelensky reiterated that a face-to-face summit with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was the “only way” to resolve key disputes over territory and security guarantees and secure a peace deal.

He played down past tensions with Trump, saying the US president was approaching the war pragmatically and wanted a swift end to the conflict.

“I am not a box of chocolates or a car, to be liked or disliked,” Zelensky said. “He probably wants the war to end quickly. We also want that.”

The Ukrainian leader also thanked the Trump administration for continuing supplies of Patriot air defence systems despite growing demand due to the conflict in the Gulf, though he said deliveries remain insufficient.

Ukraine has previously warned that shipments of the US-made systems – crucial for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles – could be affected by shifting global priorities.

Zelensky added that Kyiv is stepping up domestic production of long-range missiles and drones, enabling it to strike targets deep inside Russia in response to continued bombardment.