Tanker heavily damaged in drone attack passes through Bosphorus: Traffic suspended in both directions

The Bosphorus was temporarily closed to vessel traffic due to the passage of the M/T Golden Sapling, which was damaged in a drone attack in the Black Sea.

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Tanker heavily damaged in drone attack passes through Bosphorus: Traffic suspended in both directions

The Hong Kong-flagged tanker M/T Golden Sapling, which sustained heavy damage after being hit by an armed drone attack in the Black Sea in August, reached the Bosphorus following a salvage operation. During the tanker's passage, the Bosphorus was temporarily closed to transit vessel traffic in both directions for security reasons.

It was stated that the ship, used as an oil and chemical tanker, had drifted and run aground off the coast of Samsun following the attack. The 147.8-meter-long, 19,455-deadweight-ton tanker is reportedly operated by the Singapore-based Chem Pool Management.

Close-up view showing the burnt superstructure of the damaged tanker being taken through the Bosphorus. — Burn marks on the superstructure of the heavily damaged M/T Golden Sapling were captured.

The M/T Golden Sapling was towed by the "Aras Salvor" offshore tugboat, owned by the company Aras Marine. It was reported that the KEGM Kurtarma 8 and KEGM Kurtarma 11 tugboats, affiliated with the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, also accompanied the operation during the passage.

Aerial photo showing the burnt and damaged rear section of the M/T Golden Sapling tanker. — The damage to the tanker's hull and superstructure was captured from the air during the passage.

Following the completion of the transit procedures in the Bosphorus, it was learned that the tanker would be taken to the Öge Ship Recycling Facilities in Aliağa, İzmir, for dismantling and recycling. The passage of the damaged tanker was also filmed from the air.