Bloomberg reports that an oil tanker was damaged by a blast after visiting Russian ports just weeks earlier.

**Oil Tanker Explodes Near Libya, Cause Unknown**

A massive oil tanker carrying 1 million barrels of oil has experienced a devastating explosion near the coast of Libya. The vessel, called Vilamoura, was being operated by TMS Tankers when the blast occurred on June 30. According to reports, the engine room flooded due to water intake, but miraculously, the crew is safe and no pollution has been reported.

The cause of the explosion remains a mystery, with a company spokesperson saying that an investigation is underway to determine what happened. The incident comes as a series of unexplained blasts have targeted oil tankers that had previously visited Russian ports. This has led shipowners to take extra precautions by inspecting their vessels for mines using divers and underwater drones.

**Russian Port Visits Spark Concern**

Vilamoura had visited two Russian oil terminals in the past few months, loading Kazakh-origin crude rather than Russian oil. The tanker had called at the Ust-Luga port in early April and at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near Novorossiysk in May. Both terminals primarily handle Kazakh crude exports.

This incident is not an isolated case, with maritime risk consultancy Vanguard Tech reporting that four other vessels have been damaged by explosions since the beginning of the year. Each of these incidents had one thing in common: they had recently docked at Russian ports. This has raised concerns about the safety of oil tankers visiting Russia.

**Ukraine’s Energy Targets**

The explosion on Vilamoura comes as Ukraine continues to target Russian energy assets throughout its full-scale invasion. In February, a drone strike hit the CPC pipeline, which is responsible for moving roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports. This has led to increased tensions between Russia and the international community.

As the world waits for more information about the cause of the explosion on Vilamoura, one thing is clear: the safety of oil tankers visiting Russian ports is a major concern.