[REVISION HISTORY]

Turkish ship drone attacks in Black Sea

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-15 11:45 UTC → 2026-08-15 15:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026, the Turkish-flagged bulk carrier MV Reyhan Sarı was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle while transporting coal from Taman to Trabzon near Novorossiysk. The attack killed 54-year-old crew member Savaş Çakar and injured two others. Following the incident, the brother of the deceased, Abbas Çakar, reported receiving an email from Robert ~~Brovdin,~~ Brovdi, Commander of the Ukraine Unmanned Systems Forces, which allegedly stated the deceased had ‘consciously chosen this path’ and that his actions contributed to the enrichment of the Russian Federation. Abbas Çakar is seeking legal action, raising concerns that the strike on a commercial vessel may violate the Geneva Conventions. In early August, the Turkish container ship LDR Yaşar was hit by three drones while sailing in international waters en route from Istanbul to Novorossiysk. The drones caused extensive material damage and ignited a fire, which the crew extinguished without injury. The vessel was subsequently towed to Samsun, Turkey. Lider Gemi Board member Aykan Üçüncü noted that the incident highlights the “growing risk of drone attacks on commercial shipping.” Both incidents underscore an escalating pattern of unmanned aerial assaults on Turkish commercial vessels in the Black Sea, with Ukrainian forces having claimed a broader drone campaign against shipping in the area.

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