Türkiye has warned that the Russia-Ukraine war is spilling further into the Black Sea after two Turkish-owned civilian vessels were struck by unmanned aerial vehicles, injuring several crew members, including Turkish nationals.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the ships Yasar and Nadezhda were attacked after departing Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on Monday evening.
"It has been learned that the Turkish-owned civilian ships Yaşar and Nadezhda were attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles after leaving Novorossiysk Port yesterday evening, and that a group of personnel, including our citizens, were injured," the ministry said.
It added that the safety of Turkish citizens remained Ankara's "top priority" and that authorities were closely monitoring the condition of those affected.
The ministry expressed "serious concern" that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is increasingly affecting civilian shipping in the Black Sea despite repeated warnings from Türkiye.
"There is serious concern that the war between Russia and Ukraine is spreading in the Black Sea, affecting civilian vessels despite all our warnings," the statement said.
"Unless preventive measures are taken, the escalation in the Black Sea will have multidimensional adverse consequences, including for food security," it added.
Türkiye renewed its appeal to all parties involved in the conflict to take immediate steps to safeguard commercial navigation in the strategically important waterway.
"We reiterate our call to all relevant actors, especially the warring parties, to urgently implement concrete measures to ensure navigational safety in the Black Sea," the ministry said.
Crew evacuated
According to Türkiye's maritime authority, the cargo vessel Nadezhda was sailing from Novorossiysk to the northern Turkish port of Samsun when it was struck by drones around 20 nautical miles off Novorossiysk, Reuters reported.
The vessel's operator said all 22 crew members were evacuated to Russia, including three who were seriously injured, while a fire continued to burn in the ship's bow, according to the report.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
The incident comes amid intensified attacks in the Black Sea, where commercial shipping has increasingly been affected by the war between Russia and Ukraine despite international efforts to safeguard maritime navigation.
