Three crew members were seriously injured after the roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Nadezhda was struck by a drone near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Turkey’s maritime authority said on 3 August.
The vessel was sailing from Novorossiysk to Turkey’s Samsun port when it was attacked about 20 nautical miles offshore. All 22 crew members were evacuated to Russia, including the three injured sailors, while a fire continued to burn in the ship’s bow.
The identities and nationalities of those injured were not disclosed, and it remained unclear who was responsible for the strike.
The incident comes amid ongoing Russian and Ukrainian attacks on vessels in the Black Sea, with both sides accusing each other of targeting ships carrying commercial cargo, including agricultural products.
The attacks have increased security concerns for shipping in the region.