Black Sea shipping under fire: Two abandoned vessels wash up on Turkish
A 19,455 dwt tanker and a 3,248 dwt cargoship grounded after drone strikes near Russian ports
Two merchant vessels, both damaged in separate attacks in the Black Sea, washed ashore on Turkey’s northern coast on Sunday, highlighting the growing risks to commercial shipping in the region.
The larger of the two, the Golden Sapling, a 19,455-deadweight-ton chemical tanker flying the Hong Kong flag, ran aground near Geyikkoşan in Samsun province. The 1999-built vessel had been drifting unmanned for days after sustaining damage in a drone strike approximately 90 nautical miles off Sinop on August 26. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated by the Greek-flagged tanker Maran Pytha and taken to the Russian port of Novorossiysk before the ship was abandoned.
Further west, the Russian-flagged general cargo ship Omskiy-107, a 3,248-deadweight-ton vessel built in 1981, beached at Alacalı Beach in Şile, near Istanbul. The ship had also been attacked near Novorossiysk, though the exact timing and responsible party remain unverified. Images from the scene show severe fire damage around the accommodation and bridge areas. The crew abandoned the vessel in lifeboats before it drifted southward toward Turkish waters.
Turkey reinforces maritime security amid rising tensions
Turkish coastguard teams have been deployed to secure both grounded vessels as Ankara escalates diplomatic pressure over recent attacks on commercial shipping. On Saturday, Turkey summoned Ukraine’s ambassador, Naryman Dzhelialov, to the foreign ministry following strikes on two Turkish-operated ships last week.
The Lider Bordo Mavi, a Cameroon-flagged roll-on/roll-off vessel, was hit near Tuapse on August 26. The following day, the Lider Kocatepe, sent to tow the damaged ship, was also targeted. In its statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to protect “the safety of life, property, navigation, and the marine environment in the Black Sea.”
Black Sea shipping lanes become a battleground
The incidents reflect the broader disruption of commercial routes in the Black Sea, where Ukraine has increasingly used drones and unmanned surface vessels to target ships linked to Russia. These attacks aim to disrupt Moscow’s grain and oil exports, a strategy that has drawn international scrutiny.
Russia has responded with strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odessa and Nikolayev, further tightening restrictions on Kyiv’s maritime trade. The escalation has raised concerns in Ankara, which has historically sought to maintain neutrality in the conflict. In a recent statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called on all parties to “urgently implement concrete measures to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of civilian vessels.”
The grounding of the Golden Sapling and Omskiy-107 underscores the dangers now facing commercial shipping in the region. With both sides treating maritime assets as strategic targets, Turkey faces the challenge of protecting its shipping interests while navigating the conflict’s spillover effects.
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