India, March 26 -- A Turkish-operated oil tanker carrying Russian crude was struck by a suspected underwater attack in the Black Sea early Thursday, according to Turkey's transport minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu.

The vessel, sailing under a Sierra Leone flag, reported an explosion in its engine room shortly after midnight.

Authorities believe the blast was externally caused and deliberately targeted a critical section of the ship.

Officials indicated that the attack was likely carried out using an unmanned surface vehicle operating at water level, rather than an aerial drone.

The nature of the damage suggested a focused attempt to disable the tanker by hitting its engine systems.

Uraloglu stated that the engine room appeared to have b...