A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region. No information has been released on casualties or the extent of the damage.
Turkish maritime sources said on Thursday that the vessel was hit after departing the Port of Chornomorsk on Ukraine's Black Sea coast.
The incident came hours after the Russian Defence Ministry said it had struck a cargo vessel in the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi and two other ships off the coast of Odesa during military operations targeting what Moscow described as Ukrainian military infrastructure.
It was not immediately clear whether the attack on the Turkish-owned vessel was connected to the strikes reported by Russia, and there has been no independent confirmation of either incident.
The reported attack nevertheless highlights the growing risks facing commercial shipping in the Black Sea, despite increased efforts by regional governments to protect vital maritime trade routes.
Since the Russia-Ukraine war began in early 2022, merchant vessels have increasingly been caught in the crossfire as both sides have used missiles, drones and naval weapons in and around Ukrainian seaports.
According to maritime industry data, 11 Turkish or Turkish-linked commercial vessels have been damaged by drones, missiles or other munitions since the conflict began.
Last week, a Turkish merchant sailor was killed in a similar incident in the Black Sea, for which both Russia and Ukraine denied responsibility.
The repeated attacks have heightened concerns that the conflict could further threaten one of the world's most important shipping corridors, which is critical for grain exports, energy shipments and wider international trade.
Türkiye, which controls access to the Black Sea through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits under the 1936 Montreux Convention, has maintained relations with both Kyiv and Moscow while urging restraint and supporting efforts to keep maritime trade routes open.
The latest incident is likely to prompt renewed calls from the shipping industry for stronger safeguards to protect civilian vessels operating in one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
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