A cargo ship traveling from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Samsun, Türkiye, was struck by drones in the Black Sea near the Russian coast, according to Türkiye’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs.
The vessel, identified as the Nadezhda, was carrying a crew of 22 people, including 13 Turkish nationals. Turkish authorities said the attack damaged the ship’s bow and crew quarters and sparked a fire onboard.
According to the ship’s captain, Yalcin Sahin, the vessel was transporting fresh fruit and vegetables when it was targeted by six or seven drones about 30 nautical miles from Novorossiysk. He said four crew members, three of them Turkish citizens, were injured during the attack.
Turkish officials reported that all crew members were later evacuated safely to a Russian port using Russian maritime assets. Preliminary information indicates that three of the injured may be in critical condition.
The Nadezhda is a 118-meter roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) cargo vessel sailing under the flag of Cameroon and operated by the Turkish company Kalyoncu Ro Ro Denizcilik.
