The container ship Aurelia diverted to Samsun Port, Turkey, after being struck by a drone while sailing in the Black Sea, reports say.

The ship, flying the Cameroonian flag, was attacked shortly after leaving Novorossiysk, Russia, when it was about 80–90 nautical miles offshore.

The drone hit containers on the starboard side. All 16 crew members, including seven Turkish nationals, were unharmed.

After the strike, Aurelia changed course and continued under controlled conditions to a safe port.

The vessel arrived at Samsun around 14:30 local time on 18 January, where the damaged containers were unloaded individually using a crane.

The ship itself was largely unaffected, although a minor fire in one container row was quickly contained.

🚨تعرضت السفينة Aurelia لهجوم في البحر الأسود بعد مغادرتها ميناء نوفوروسيسك الروسي مما تسبب في أضرار مادية
السفينة حاليا متواجدة في ميناء سامسون التركي
🎥 ShipspotterHayriyay#ship #containers #aurelia #novorossiysk #samsun #port #black #sea #russia #ukraine #theseainarabic pic.twitter.com/wxcyt3e742

— The Sea In Arabic البحر بالعربي (@Theseainarabic) January 18, 2026

Video Credits: The Sea In Arabic/X

Video footage from the crew and a ship spotter shows at least three forty-foot containers damaged, located three bays forward of the wheelhouse.

The extent of cargo damage, if the containers were laden, has not been disclosed.

Turkish authorities said an investigation is underway, and no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

AIS records show Aurelia’s transmissions paused between 13 and 17 January, shortly after leaving the Bosporus northbound, which is common for ships entering the Russian sector of the Black Sea.

The vessel has frequently visited Novorossiysk in the past.

Aurelia, built in 1998, is a Turkish-owned container feeder, 100 metres long and 17.9 metres wide.

Port state inspections have noted deficiencies on every visit since 2018, with over three dozen issues recorded in the past year alone.

References: usm, safety4sea