Turkish commercial ships attacked with drones in the Black Sea. Ankara condemns the incidents.

Two Turkish commercial vessels were attacked with drones in the Black Sea, shortly after leaving the Russian port of Novorossiisk.

The first vessel, "Nadezhda", was hit on Monday evening while sailing towards the port of Samsun in Turkey, about 20 nautical miles from its destination. All 22 crew members were evacuated to Russia, including three seriously injured, following the fire that engulfed the bow of the ship.

Subsequently, a second vessel, "Yasar", was attacked on the same night. Although both ships are owned by Turkish companies, they sail under foreign flags.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks, expressing concern over the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, which "affects civilian maritime transport despite our numerous warnings".