Turkish officials on August 4th reported that an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting 2 civilian ships in the Black Sea injured several sailors.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that these ships were attacked after leaving the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the evening of August 3. Regarding the injured, "their condition is being closely monitored".
We are extremely concerned about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea. This is affecting civil maritime transport despite many of our warnings," the Turkish Foreign Ministry emphasized.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called on all parties to "urgently take specific measures to ensure maritime safety in the Black Sea" otherwise food supplies could be affected.
According to the surveillance site MarineTraffic, the 2 ships mentioned by the Turkish Foreign Ministry are Yasar and Nadezhda, respectively flying Panama and Cameroon flags but owned by Turkish companies.
Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks on cargo ships in recent weeks.
A Turkish fishing boat was attacked in late June in the Black Sea near the Crimean coast, killing 1 and injuring 4.
At the end of May, Turkey warned of an "uncontrolled escalation" in the Black Sea region after a drone attack on a Turkish cargo ship.
According to AFP, the Ukrainian Navy said that Russian drones attacked the ship.
