A Turkish-operated cargo ship carrying vegetables from Turkey to Russia was struck by three drones in the Black Sea. The vessel sent to help it was then hit as well.
On August 26, the Cameroon-flagged Lider Bordo Mavi, operated by a Turkish company, was attacked near the Russian port of Tuapse. It had left Samsun a day earlier with fresh produce and was bound for Tuapse after being unable to call at Novorossiysk. The strikes started a fire and injured five crew members.
The next day, a second Turkish-operated ship, the Lider Kocatepe, was dispatched to tow or assist the damaged vessel. It was also targeted by a drone while en route, suffered material damage, and later returned to Samsun.
On Saturday, Turkey summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara, Nariman Dzhelialov, to the Foreign Ministry. Officials conveyed Ankara’s protest and warned that the safety of life, property, navigation, and the marine environment in the Black Sea must be protected.
Turkey has spent years trying to keep commercial shipping moving while maintaining ties with both Kyiv and Moscow. That balancing act is easiest when the fighting stays between Russia and Ukraine. These attacks did not.
