At least 22 Turkish civilian vessels have been attacked in two months, raising fears of a broader maritime crisis and supply chain disruptions.
Turkey summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara on August 29 after back-to-back drone strikes hit two Turkish cargo ships in the Black Sea, injuring five crew members and escalating what has become a dangerous pattern for commercial shipping in the region.
Turkish ship owners have reported that at least 22 civilian vessels flying Turkish flags or operated by Turkish companies have been attacked over the past two months alone.
What happened
On August 26, the container ship Lider Bordo Mavi was struck by three drones while carrying fresh produce near Tuapse, a Russian port city on the Black Sea’s northeastern coast. The attack caused a fire on board and injured five crew members.
The next day, a second vessel, the Lider Kocatepe, was dispatched to assist the damaged ship. It too was hit by drones, sustaining material damage.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Ukraine’s ambassador, Naryman Dzhelialov, on August 29. Turkish officials used the meeting to reiterate their position that life, property, and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be protected.
Turkey had already issued a broader warning on August 4, calling on both Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian shipping.
A pattern of attacks on civilian shipping
Turkey controls the Bosphorus Strait, the only exit point for ships leaving the Black Sea toward the Mediterranean, and has maintained relationships with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Why this matters beyond the Black Sea
The Lider Bordo Mavi was carrying fresh produce, a category of goods that doesn’t wait patiently in port while diplomats sort things out.
For investors watching shipping and commodities markets, the key variable is whether Turkey escalates beyond diplomatic protest. Ankara has the tools to make life significantly harder for Ukrainian maritime operations if it chooses to, most notably through its control of the Bosphorus Strait under the Montreux Convention.
