Two commercial vessels damaged in separate incidents in the Black Sea have drifted unmanned and washed ashore along Turkey’s northern coast, prompting Coast Guard and port authorities to secure both locations.
The vessels involved are the Hong Kong-flagged tanker Golden Sapling and the Russian-flagged general cargo ship OMSKIY-107.
Both ships had previously been abandoned by their crews after sustaining serious damage.
Golden Sapling, a 19,455-dwt product/chemical tanker built in 1999, reportedly suffered damage while sailing toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
The vessel was approximately 90 nautical miles from Sinop when it was reportedly struck during an attack on August 26.
All 21 crew members were evacuated and transferred to the tanker Maran Pythia.
After the crew abandoned the vessel, Golden Sapling remained unmanned and began drifting across the Black Sea.
Strong winds and sea conditions gradually pushed the tanker toward Turkey.
On August 30, the vessel eventually ran aground near Geyikkoşan in the Alaçam district of Samsun Province.
Images from the scene show significant damage to parts of the vessel, including the accommodation block and bridge area.
Turkish Coast Guard and port officials were sent to the location to inspect the tanker and establish a plan for its eventual removal or towing.
Further west along the Turkish Black Sea coast, another heavily damaged ship also reached the shoreline.
The 108-metre Russian-flagged cargo ship OMSKIY-107 drifted toward Alacalı Beach in Istanbul’s Şile district before running aground close to the coast.
The vessel reportedly sustained damage near the Russian port of Novorossiysk before its crew abandoned ship using lifeboats.
Photographs of OMSKIY-107 show extensive fire damage around the bridge and accommodation area.
After drifting across the Black Sea without crew, the ship eventually reached the Turkish coastline.
Coast Guard teams established a security perimeter around the grounded vessel and began examining its condition.
The two incidents are unusual because both ships travelled considerable distances without crews onboard before reaching the Turkish coast.
Unmanned vessels drifting in busy shipping areas can create additional navigation risks for commercial traffic, fishing boats and coastal communities.
Turkish authorities are now expected to assess the structural condition of both ships, potential pollution risks and the safest method of recovering or removing them.
No major pollution has been reported from either vessel at this stage.
The grounding of Golden Sapling and OMSKIY-107 also highlights the growing impact of Black Sea security incidents on commercial shipping.
Merchant vessels operating in the region continue to face risks associated with military activity, drifting mines, drone attacks and navigation through high-risk areas.
Turkey has repeatedly called for greater protection of commercial shipping and for a reduction in attacks affecting merchant vessels in the Black Sea.
For now, both ships remain under the supervision of Turkish authorities while technical inspections and recovery planning continue.
Golden Sapling and OMSKIY-107 survived their initial incidents but ultimately drifted unmanned across the Black Sea before grounding at separate locations along Turkey’s coast.
