Video: Turkey and Azerbaijan Protest as Another Vessel is Severely Damaged
Officials in both Turkey and Azerbaijan are protesting and demanding greater safety for seafarers as vessels carrying their seafarers have been repeatedly attacked in the Black Sea. It comes as Russia continues its assault on commercial shipping and Ukraine’s ports, appearing to be aiming to fulfill the threat made by Vladimir Putin months ago to cut Ukraine off from the sea.
At least three vessels were reported to have been targeted early on July 30. It came after the Russian Ministry of Defense announced attacks on “military cargo sites” and fuel tanks, as well as vessels, in the area around Odesa and Mykolaiv. Another report mentioned two vessels near Odesa and one in the port of Pivdennyi.
A Turkish-owned vessel carrying corn, leaving Chornomorsk, became the focus, prompting the latest protests. The vessel named ATA 2 is a small ship of 6,555 dwt built in 2006 and registered in Panama. According to the media reports and statements from a union leader in Azerbaijan, the vessel was struck by three drones. Amazingly, despite hits on the accommodation block and the bridge, none of the 13 crewmembers aboard was injured, but the vessel sustained significant damage, as seen in several videos posted by the union leader.
A media outlet in Azerbaijan spoke to a person it described as the son of the second captain, who described the conditions on board. “The ship has a backup control system operating in manual mode, and the crew continues to sail using that system. The ship is currently heading towards Bulgaria. From there, they will sail to Istanbul, and then the ship will be directed for major repairs,” Muhammad Mahmudzadeh told Denizxeber.az.
Later reports said the ship had been able to make it to Romania. The crew was confirmed to be in good condition, with 12 of 13 aboard from Azerbaijan.
Union leader Ilham Nasirov posted a series of messages on social media declaring, “The lives of Azerbaijani sailors cannot be the price of any profit." He demands that seafarers have the right to complete and honest information about the routes and the existing risks. He says, “Promises of high wages cannot replace the right to safety of seafarers.”
The protest came as Azerbaijani seafarers have repeatedly been caught in the fight. While no one was injured today, the captain of the vessel Atlas Bey was killed on July 14. He was buried in Lankaran in Azerbaijan. Ten other Azerbaijani seafarers were rescued by the Ukrainians.
Reports from Turkey emphasize that this was at least the third Turkish vessel struck this month, with at least 11 vessels linked to Turkey damaged since the start of the war.
A Turkish sailor was killed days ago aboard the vessel Reyhan Sari. The bulker Golden Leo, which sank days after it was attacked, was also Turkish. Nine seafarers and the Ukrainian pilot were killed on that ship.
This year has also seen the Turkish-owned vessel ANT hit at the end of May, with two Turkish crewmembers killed. At the end of June, two Turkish crewmembers were wounded on a Panama-flagged dry cargo vessel while it was sailing off Chornomorsk.
Ukraine presented the situation to the UN Security Council this week. While some shipping companies, including Maersk, have suspended operations into Ukrainian ports, officials assert the ports remain open while they are taking steps to increase security.
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Top photo by Neal Johnsto - courtesy of VesselFinder
