Turkish-owned civilian vessels "Yaşar" and "Nadezhda" were reported to be attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles yesterday (3 August) evening after departing from the Port of Novorossiysk, resulting in injuries to a group of crew members including Turkish citizens.

The safety of our citizens is our utmost priority and their condition is being closely monitored.

We are deeply concerned that the war between Russia and Ukraine is spreading further into the Black Sea, also affecting civilian vessels, despite all our warnings. Unless preventive measures are taken, the escalation in the Black Sea will have multifaceted negative repercussions, including for food security.

We therefore reiterate our call to all relevant actors, particularly the warring parties, to urgently implement concrete measures to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.