Russia attacks Turkish civilian vessel with drone in Black Sea – Ukrainian Navy

According to Ukrinform, the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.

“Today, November 13, 2025, the aggressor state once again carried out an attack on a civilian vessel. The Russian Federation conducted a targeted strike using a UAV against the Turkish vessel VIVA, which was heading to Egypt with a cargo of sunflower oil. The vessel was sailing via the grain corridor. There were 11 citizens of the Republic of Türkiye on board,” the statement said.

Russian forces struck the vessel in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone, outside the range of Ukrainian air defense systems.

According to the report, the crew was not injured. The vessel is continuing on its route to the port of destination in Egypt.

At present, the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in contact with the ship’s captain. A maritime search and rescue service is also on standby to provide assistance if necessary.

“The Russian Federation is grossly and cynically violating international maritime law. Such actions directly contradict the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and constitute a blatant violation of the San Remo Manual,” the Ukrainian Navy noted.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, on December 12, a Russian strike damaged a civilian vessel in the port of Chornomorsk.

It later became known that Türkiye expressed concern over the attack on a vessel belonging to a Turkish company that was in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk and emphasized the need to uphold agreements aimed at preventing escalation in the Black Sea, in particular the cessation of attacks on energy and port infrastructure.

Illustrative photo: unsplash.com