A Ukrainian drone strikes a Turkish-owned roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo ship near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk earlier this month.
Türkiye summoned Ukraine’s ambassador on Aug. 29 after two Turkish-operated commercial vessels were damaged in separate drone attacks in the Black Sea near the Russian port of Tuapse, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
Ukrainian Ambassador Naryman Dzhelialov was called to the Foreign Ministry in Ankara after the attacks on the Lider Bordo Mavi and Lider Kocatepe vessels, the sources said.
The Lider Bordo Mavi was struck Aug. 26 while sailing near Tuapse, according to Turkish shipping and regional sources. The vessel, which was carrying fresh produce, caught fire after being hit by three drones, injuring five crew members.
The ship flies the Cameroon flag and is operated by a Turkish company. It had departed from the Turkish Black Sea port of Samsun around Aug. 25 and was headed for Tuapse after reportedly being unable to call at the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
The Lider Kocatepe was sent to the area the following day to assist the damaged vessel but was itself targeted by a drone while en route, according to media reports. It sustained material damage and returned to Samsun.
Ukraine did not immediately publicly claim responsibility for either attack. Russia has attributed similar recent strikes on commercial shipping to Ukrainian forces.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea, where civilian shipping has increasingly been exposed to the effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
During the meeting, Turkish officials conveyed Ankara’s concerns over the attacks and stressed the need to protect lives, property, navigation and the marine environment, the ministry sources said.
Türkiye has repeatedly warned that the war should not further threaten civilian maritime traffic or disrupt commercial navigation in the Black Sea. Türkiye has sought to maintain relations with both Russia and Ukraine while positioning itself as a mediator in efforts to limit the war’s impact on civilian and commercial activity.
The full extent of the damage to both vessels was still being assessed on Aug. 31.
