Ankara condemns the targeting of two Turkish civilian ships in the Black Sea

Turkey condemned on Tuesday a drone attack that occurred on Monday in the Black Sea, which targeted two ships returning to two Turkish companies, resulting in injuries among their crews.

In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The two civilian vessels belonging to Turkish shipping companies, Yesar and Nadiza, were attacked by drones after departing from the port of Novorossiysk on Monday night, resulting in injuries to some crew members, including Turkish citizens. The safety of our citizens is our top priority, and we are closely monitoring their situation.”

The ministry added, “We express our deep concern over the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, which is affecting civilian navigation despite our numerous warnings. If preventive measures are not taken, this escalation will have negative repercussions, particularly on food security,” calling on the parties concerned to “hasten the adoption of concrete measures to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.”

The maritime tracking website MarineTraffic noted that the two ships, Yesar and Nadiza, fly the flags of Panama and Cameroon.

Russia and Ukraine have intensified their strikes on cargo ships over the past several weeks, particularly in the Black Sea.

At the end of June, a Turkish fishing vessel was attacked in the Black Sea near the coast of Crimea, resulting in one death and four injuries.

Ankara warned at the end of May of an “out-of-control escalation” in the Black Sea region following a drone attack on a Turkish cargo ship. The Ukrainian Navy confirmed that the attack was carried out by a Russian drone.