Black Sea ship attacks spread

X.com A Turkish-owned general cargo ship has suffered serious damage after coming under drone fire in the Black Sea, as attacks on merchant vessels and energy terminals intensify on both sides of the conflict. The 6,555 dwt ATA 2 was carrying corn after departing Chornomorsk when it was reportedly struck by three Russian drones on Thursday. Video showed a large hole in the 2006-built ship’s upper deck, with damage to the accommodation block and bridge. All 13 crewmembers were reported safe. The Panama-flagged vessel retained limited manoeuvrability using a backup manual control system and headed towards Romania, with repairs expected in Turkey. The attack was one of at least three reported against ships serving Ukrainian ports over the past 24 hours. Russia’s defence ministry has claimed recent strikes on vessels and port infrastructure around Odesa and Mykolaiv were directed at military cargoes, but has frequently provided no independent evidence for those assertions. The latest incident adds to mounting anger among Turkish and Azerbaijani seafarers. Azerbaijani union representatives said crews must receive full information about trading routes and war risks, arguing that higher wages cannot replace a seafarer’s right to safety. Turkey-linked ships have suffered repeatedly during July. The captain of Atlas Bey was killed earlier in the month, while the Turkish-owned Golden Leo later sank after an attack that killed crewmembers and a Ukrainian pilot. At the eastern end of the Black Sea, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium suspended tanker loadings near Novorossiysk following fresh drone attacks on the Greek-controlled suezmaxes Nissos Sifnos and Marathi . Nissos Sifnos was struck near its cargo manifold while loading, triggering a fire extinguished by the crew and support vessels. The ship remained stable and no pollution was reported. Marathi was attacked while approaching the terminal. At least five tankers subsequently diverted or held position, underlining the speed with which attacks translate into lost export capacity. CPC carries the overwhelming majority of Kazakhstan’s seaborne oil exports and has repeatedly halted operations following drone strikes. Karadeniz'de bir Türk gemisi daha İHA'ların hedefi oldu! 📍Ukrayna'nın Çornomorsk Limanı'ndan mısır yüküyle ayrılan Türk şirkete ait Panama bayraklı ATA-2 kuru yük gemisi, Karadeniz'de insansız hava aracı saldırısına uğradı. Geminin yaşam alanlarının isabet aldığı olayda can… pic.twitter.com/WnpxqEMuRY — SavunmaTR (@SavunmaTR) July 30, 2026 Follow Us Sam Chambers Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune. Newsletter DAILY SPLASH NEWSLETTER Subscribe now for FREE daily news updates. Subscribe Read Next August 3, 2026 NYK moves to absorb NS United in near $1bn deal August 3, 2026 New Yangtze books Changhong newcastlemax pair August 3, 2026 Subsea7 lands up to $150m Shell pipeline job off Brunei July 31, 2026 Singapore hands out eight LNG bunker licences July 31, 2026 Viking Supply Ships hands top jobs to Kistefos duo