Drone-attacked ARINA A arrives off Trabzon

Amid a period in which commercial vessels have also become targets of attacks in the Black Sea due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier ARINA A, built in South Korea in 1995, was spotted off the coast of Trabzon. The vessel, which departed Istanbul and was sailing toward Russia, was targeted in a drone attack in the Black Sea in September. One of the 25 crew members, chief officer Dmitry Zhitin, was killed in the attack.

Following the attack, the crew aboard the vessel was evacuated by teams from the Trabzon Coast Guard Group Command and brought ashore in Trabzon. The body of chief officer Dmitry Zhitin was taken to the Trabzon Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy and, after the procedures were completed, handed over to officials of the Russian Federation.

An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Trabzon Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Vessels targeted in Black Sea attacks head to Trabzon

Meanwhile, the fact that commercial vessels have increasingly become targets of drone attacks in the Black Sea due to the Russia-Ukraine war has recently drawn attention. Following the attacks, some vessels that sustain damage or require crew evacuation are heading toward Trabzon.

Most recently, the cargo vessel VOLGA-4007 was targeted in a drone attack in the Black Sea. The approximately 140-meter-long vessel was reportedly subjected to successive drone attacks after departing the Port of Novorossiysk. Following the damage it sustained, the vessel reached waters off Trabzon and later anchored at Trabzon Port.

Previously, the Turkish-flagged bulk carrier MV Reyhan Sarı was also targeted in a drone attack off Novorossiysk. One crew member was killed and two others were injured in the attack. Following the evacuation of the injured crew members, the damaged vessel arrived in Trabzon.

Another vessel targeted in the Black Sea was the LPG tanker GAS NERO. A fire broke out in the vessel’s bow following the attack, and the vessel was directed to waters off Trabzon for safety, where it remained for some time.

The Ro-Ro vessel Lider Bordo-Mavi was also targeted in a drone attack off Tuapse. A fire broke out on board following the attack, injuring five crew members. The vessel later anchored at Trabzon Port.

The recent arrival of commercial vessels targeted in the Black Sea due to the war highlights Trabzon’s importance in terms of crew evacuations and providing a safe area for damaged vessels to wait. The sighting of ARINA A off the coast of Trabzon once again brought the impact of the war in the Black Sea on commercial maritime transport to the shores of Trabzon.