Turkish Sailors File ICC Complaint Over Deadly Ukrainian Drone Attack

By Staff, Agencies

The crew of a Turkish cargo ship struck by Ukrainian drones has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court [ICC] over the attack, which claimed the life of one sailor and injured two others, lawyers said Wednesday. The plaintiffs include 12 crew members, the deceased sailor’s family, and the vessel’s owner.

According to the complaint, the ship was carrying wheat meal from Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse to Trabzon when it was attacked on July 22, although Turkish media reported at the time that it was transporting coal from Taman.

Photos and videos reportedly show extensive internal damage and shrapnel traces, prompting the plaintiffs to ask The Hague-based court to investigate the strike as a possible crime against humanity.

Ukraine ratified the ICC’s Rome Statute in 2024 and became a full member of the court on January 1, 2025.

“There is concrete information and footage showing that the attack originated from Ukraine,” lawyer Nuri Koray Kurun said, adding that the strike was consistent with Kiev’s stated campaign against shipping in the area.

He said videos of the operation and the vessel being hit were shared on official social media accounts and that technical analysis identified the ship as the Reyhan Sari.

The complaint follows Turkey’s summoning of Ukraine’s ambassador last month to protest strikes on Turkish commercial shipping in the Black Sea. India also summoned Kiev’s envoy in July after a drone attack on the Omorfi killed an Indian sailor.

Meanwhile, Ukraine intensified attacks on cargo vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov over the summer, seeking to disrupt Russian logistics and target what Kiev calls Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which it alleges helps Moscow evade Western sanctions.

Russia denies operating such a fleet and accuses Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure and vessels.

Moscow says its subsequent strikes on Ukrainian energy and port infrastructure, as well as vessels it claims carry military equipment, are retaliatory measures, arguing that Kiev has “opened Pandora’s box.”