Drones Attack Turkish Cargo Ship in the Black Sea

A Turkish-owned cargo ship traveling from Russia to Turkey was attacked by drones roughly 20 nautical miles from Novorossiysk, injuring three crew members and sparking a fire.

Attack on the Nadezhda Cargo Ship

According to a statement by the Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, the cargo ship “Nadezhda”—owned by a Turkish shipowner and sailing from Russian Novorossiysk to the Turkish port of Samsun—was attacked on Monday at a distance of approximately 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers) from Novorossiysk.

The vessel was carrying a 22-member crew, including 13 Turkish citizens. Initial findings indicate damage to the residential section and the bow of the ship, and a fire broke out on board.

Turkish authorities reported that all crew members were safely evacuated to a Russian port by Russian marine units. Three crew members sustained serious injuries.

Escalation of Warfare in the Black Sea

As a result of the Russian war against Ukraine, several drones of Russian or Ukrainian production have fallen onto Turkish territory in recent months, and unmanned armed watercraft have often washed ashore. In response to the growing threats, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria established a maritime security initiative whose main task is to remove drifting sea mines in the Black Sea.

In July, Ukraine launched an intensive operation against the Russian shadow fleet in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, attacking dozens of vessels to paralyze enemy logistics related to transport to occupied Crimea.

Between July 6 and 18, Ukrainian unmanned vehicles attacked 172 Russian vessels—118 in the Sea of Azov and 54 in the Black Sea. During the night of July 17 to 18 alone, 13 vessels were hit: eight dry cargo ships, a tanker, a gas carrier, a tugboat, and two floating cranes.

On July 13, drones attacked two tankers, Delta Harmony and Matilda, which were scheduled to load barrels of oil from Kazakhstan at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in the Black Sea.