Turkish authorities have called on all parties to take measures to ensure shipping safety in the Black Sea, according to a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
"If preventive measures are not taken, escalation in the Black Sea will have multifaceted negative consequences, including threats to food security. In this regard, we once again call on all interested parties, primarily the warring parties, to take concrete measures as soon as possible to ensure shipping safety in the Black Sea," the ministry's document states.
It clarifies that the civilian vessels Yasar and Nadezhda, owned by Turkish owners, were damaged in the Black Sea the day before. After the vessels left the port in Novorossiysk, they were attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles, the Turkish Foreign Ministry noted.
The statement says that as a result of the attacks, crew members, including Turkish citizens, were injured.