Türkiye on Friday called on all parties to avoid actions that could further inflame tensions in the Black Sea after a drone strike hit a Turkish-owned cargo vessel off Ukraine’s southern coast, injuring two crew members and sparking a fire on board.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had conveyed Ankara’s concerns to “all relevant parties” following the incident and reiterated its warning against steps that could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the war in the region.
It said the situation was being closely monitored and confirmed that the injured crew members were Turkish nationals.
“We are closely monitoring the conditions of the two Turkish nationals,” the ministry said, adding that Türkiye was coordinating with relevant authorities over the safety of maritime traffic in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s navy said earlier on Friday that Russian drones struck the vessel late Thursday while it was sailing from the Odesa region toward Türkiye, causing a fire and forcing the evacuation of part of the crew.
