--- title: "Turkey summons Ukrainian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over drone attacks on two Turkish vessels in the Black Sea" description: "Turkey summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Ankara, Neriman Jalal, to the Foreign Ministry over drone attacks on two Turkish vessels in the Black Sea. Ankara conveyed its reaction and warned that shipping safety is mandatory." date: 2026-08-29T16:10:06.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/turkey-summons-ukrainian-ambassador-over-drone-attacks-on-ships-in-black-sea tags: [turkey, ukraine, black-sea, diplomacy, shipping, drones] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Turkey summons Ukrainian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over drone attacks on two Turkish vessels in the Black Sea ![Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hakan Çaylan speaking in front of the Turkish flag regarding the drone attack incident on Turkish vessels](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/29/turcia-vyzvala-posla-ukrainy-iz-za-atak-na-suda-v-chernom-more/turcia-vyzvala-posla-ukrainy-iz-za-atak-na-suda-v-chernom-more-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Turkey summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Ankara to the Foreign Ministry over attacks on two Turkish vessels in the Black Sea. - The Lider Bordo Mavi, carrying vegetables from Samsun to Tuapse, was attacked by three drones on August 26, injuring five crew members; the Lider Kocatepe, dispatched to tow it, was also attacked. - Ankara conveyed its reaction and warned that shipping safety in the Black Sea is mandatory; earlier, Turkey's Foreign Ministry had called for a moratorium on strikes against merchant vessels. Turkey summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Ankara, Neriman Jalal, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with attacks on two Turkish vessels in the Black Sea. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Anadolu agency and other media outlets. According to sources in Turkey's Foreign Ministry, the incidents are regarded by Ankara as a threat to the safety of shipping in the region and required an official diplomatic response at the embassy level. ### Reason for the summons: attacks on two Turkish vessels As Turkish sources clarify, the main reason for the summons was the attack on the vessel Lider Bordo Mavi, which was carrying vegetables from the Turkish port of Samsun to the Russian city of Tuapse. On August 26, according to media reports, the vessel was attacked by three drones, resulting in injuries to five crew members. Later, a second vessel — the Lider Kocatepe — was dispatched to tow the damaged ship, but it too came under attack. Thus, two incidents, not one, entered the diplomatic sphere. ### Chronology of the incident: from Lider Bordo Mavi to Lider Kocatepe According to available information, the sequence of events is as follows: first, the cargo vessel carrying vegetables was attacked, after which a towing vessel was sent to its aid, which also came under fire. The meeting at Turkey's Foreign Ministry, held against the backdrop of these events, was devoted specifically to conveying Ankara's official reaction to both incidents. The point in the chronology is August 29, 2026, the date on which the ambassador's summons and the public coverage of the incident fall. ### Ankara's position: shipping safety is mandatory According to a statement quoted by Anadolu, during the meeting with the ambassador, Turkey's reaction to the aforementioned attacks was conveyed, and "necessary warnings were issued that ensuring the safety of life and property, shipping, and the environment in the Black Sea is mandatory." The wording underscores that Ankara regards the safety of maritime communications as an unconditional requirement, not as a subject of bargaining between the conflicting parties. ### Context: call for a moratorium and assessments of losses The incident occurs against the backdrop of an earlier statement by Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who several weeks ago said that Ankara had called on Ukraine and Russia to introduce a moratorium on strikes against merchant vessels in the Black Sea. In his words, the parties are attacking merchant ships "without discrimination." Meanwhile, Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated that in the confrontation in the Black Sea, Russia is suffering significantly greater losses than Ukraine. These statements set the general backdrop of escalation around neutral and merchant shipping in the region. ### Contradictory data There are discrepancies between sources regarding the crew's composition. Some media outlets (in particular, Azerbaijani publications) present the incident as an attack on a vessel "with an Azerbaijani crew," whereas the basic reports and the Turkish agency Anadolu focus on the Turkish ownership of the vessels and on the fact that five crew members were injured as a result of the attack, without disclosing the crew's national composition in detail. Thus, the version regarding the nationality of the injured and which aspect of the incident is key is interpreted differently in various publications, and the exact composition of the crew is not unambiguously confirmed by open data. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Ukrainian ambassador in Turkey summoned to the Foreign Ministry over attacks on two vessels in the Black Sea](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/posla-ukrayini-turechchini-viklikali-mzs-1788019721.html) - Основной источник: вызов посла Неримана Джелала, атака на Lider Bordo Mavi (овощи Самсун—Туапсе, 26 августа, три дрона, 5 пострадавших) и на Lider Kocatepe, цитата Anadolu. - [Turkey's Foreign Ministry summons Ukrainian ambassador over attacks on Turkish vessels](https://profile.ru/news/politics/mid-turcii-vyzval-posla-ukrainy-iz-za-atak-na-tureckie-suda-1896255/) - Подтверждает факт вызова посла и причину — атаки на турецкие суда в Черном море. - [Ukrainian ambassador summoned to Turkey's Foreign Ministry after attack on vessel with Azerbaijani crew](https://1news.az/news/20260829190527319-Posla-Ukrainy-vyzvali-v-MID-Turtsii-posle-ataki-na-sudno-s-azerbaidzhanskim-ekipazhem) - Подтверждает вызов, но акцентирует «азербайджанский экипаж» — расхождение в акцентах с базовыми сообщениями, вынесено в блок противоречий. - [Ukrainian ambassador summoned to Turkey's Foreign Ministry over attacks on vessels in the Black Sea](https://azertag.az/ru/xeber/posol_ukrainy_vyzvan_v_mid_turcii_v_svyazi_s_atakami_na_suda_v_chernom_more-4388649) - Независимое подтверждение факта вызова посла в связи с атаками на суда в Черном море. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why did Turkey summon the Ukrainian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry? **A:** According to RBC-Ukraine, citing Anadolu, the summons is linked to attacks on two Turkish vessels in the Black Sea — the Lider Bordo Mavi and the Lider Kocatepe, which was dispatched to tow it. During the meeting, Turkey's reaction was conveyed and warnings were issued about the mandatory nature of shipping safety. ### Q: What happened to the Lider Bordo Mavi? **A:** The vessel, which was carrying vegetables from Samsun to the Russian city of Tuapse, was attacked by three drones on August 26, according to media reports; as a result, five crew members were injured. Later, the Lider Kocatepe, dispatched for towing, was also struck. ### Q: Are there discrepancies in the data between sources? **A:** Yes. Some publications present the incident as an attack on a vessel with an Azerbaijani crew, whereas the basic reports and Anadolu focus on the Turkish ownership of the vessels and the five injured, without disclosing the crew's national composition in detail. This discrepancy has been placed in a separate 'Contradictory data' block.