- Turkish officials said a drone attack on two civilian vessels in the Black Sea had left crew members injured.
- The foreign ministry said the ships were attacked after leaving the Russian port of Novorossiysk late on Monday; several personnel were wounded and their situation was being closely monitored.
- The ministry said it was deeply concerned about the escalating conflict affecting civilian shipping, called for urgent concrete measures for Black Sea navigation safety, and warned that food supplies could be affected.
- According to MarineTraffic, the ships were identified as Yasar and Nadezhda, sailing under the Panamanian and Cameroonian flags but owned by Turkish companies.
- At the end of May, Turkey warned of an “uncontrolled escalation” after a drone attack on a Turkish cargo ship, and the Ukrainian navy claimed that a Russian drone had attacked the vessel.
- A previous incident documented by the Associated Press (AP) showed smoke rising from the grain carrier Golden Leo under the Guinea-Bissau flag after a Russian missile strike close to Odesa on 19 July 2026.
- Russia and Ukraine have been stepping up strikes on cargo vessels for several weeks; a Turkish fishing vessel was attacked in late June near the coast of Crimea, leaving one dead and four injured.
Turkish officials reported that a drone attack on two civilian vessels in the Black Sea has resulted in injuries among crew members. The vessels, identified as Yasar and Nadezhda, were attacked after departing from the Russian port of Novorossiysk late Monday. The Turkish foreign ministry stated that the situation of the wounded crew is being closely monitored.12489
The ministry expressed deep concern over the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has increasingly impacted civilian shipping. They urged all involved parties to implement concrete measures to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, warning that failure to do so could disrupt food supplies.3
The two ships, sailing under the Panamanian and Cameroonian flags, are owned by Turkish companies, according to monitoring site MarineTraffic. This incident follows a series of attacks on cargo vessels in the region, with Russia and Ukraine intensifying strikes in recent weeks. A Turkish fishing vessel was previously attacked in June, resulting in one death and four injuries. The Turkish government had previously warned of an “uncontrolled escalation” in the Black Sea after a drone attack on a Turkish cargo ship in May. The situation remains tense as the Ukrainian navy has accused Russia of targeting civilian vessels.56
“The two vessels, Yasar and Nadezhda, sail under Panamanian and Cameroonian flags but are Turkish-owned and were hit after leaving Novorossiysk late Monday. The attack follows weeks of escalating Russia-Ukraine strikes on cargo ships, including a late-June strike on a Turkish fishing vessel near Crimea that killed one and injured four.”
Euronews.com
