Türkiye condemns Black Sea drone strikes on cargo…
ISTANBUL: Türkiye has strongly condemned drone attacks on two commercial cargo vessels in the Black Sea, warning that continued assaults on civilian shipping could jeopardize international maritime trade and global food security.
According to international media reports, the vessels were attacked shortly after departing Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that several crew members were injured in the incidents and said their condition is being closely monitored.
In a statement, the ministry expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, noting that repeated warnings about the risks to civilian navigation have gone unheeded. It stressed that disruptions to commercial shipping could have serious consequences for global trade routes and food supply chains.
Ankara urged all parties involved in the conflict to take immediate and effective measures to safeguard freedom of navigation and ensure the safety of commercial vessels operating in the region.
Reports identified the targeted ships as Yasir and Nadezhda, sailing under the flags of Panama and Cameroon, respectively. Although registered abroad, both vessels are reportedly owned by Turkish companies.
The attacks come amid a steady rise in hostilities across the Black Sea, where commercial shipping has increasingly been caught in the crossfire of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In late June, an attack near Crimea on a Turkish fishing boat left one person dead and four others injured, while another Turkish cargo ship was reportedly struck by a drone at the end of May.
Meanwhile, separate security incidents have further heightened regional tensions. In the Russian-controlled Crimean city of Sevastopol, four people, including a soldier, were killed after a serviceman allegedly opened fire on both military personnel and civilians before being taken into custody. Authorities have launched an investigation into the motive behind the shooting.
Elsewhere, Russian officials reported that a Ukrainian drone strike on the industrial area of Novoselki near Moscow killed five people and injured ten others. The attack also triggered multiple fires across the industrial zone.
Analysts say the intensifying military activity in the Black Sea is increasing the risks to international commerce, energy transportation, and global food supplies, while further complicating efforts to ease the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
