Turkey expressed serious concern on the 4th about two commercial cargo ships being attacked in the Black Sea and warned that the spillover of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is posing a threat to civilian shipping and regional stability.
In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that on the 3rd local time, two Turkey-related commercial vessels, the 'Yasar' and the 'Nadezhda', were attacked by drones after departing from Russia's Novorossiysk port in the Black Sea, resulting in several crew members being injured.
The statement noted that Turkey is closely monitoring the condition of the injured and developments in the situation, and is deeply concerned about the further spread of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into the Black Sea affecting civilian vessels.
Turkey called for urgent action and urged all relevant parties, especially Russia and Ukraine, to take concrete steps to ensure the safety of maritime navigation and prevent further attacks against civilian ships.