Vessels have been warned to beware of a possible sunken Ukrainian sea drone spotted off the northern coast of Turkey.
Ambrey Analytics said it had received a report of a suspicious object floating in the water, 26 nautical miles (48 km) north-west of Sinop.
The object was described as conical in shape and was protruding from the water.
It “does not resemble any known sea mine used by Ukraine or Russia. However, its shape is similar to the sunken bow of a small craft,” the security and intelligence specialist added.
Based on the characteristics of the object, Ambrey assessed it as plausible that it could be a sunken Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicle (USV).
On Thursday morning, the Turkish Navy vessel TCSG 72 sailed out of Sinop in the general direction of the sighting.
Ambrey said that during Ukrainian attacks against Russian marine assets, Ukraine deployed groups of USVs to increase the efficacy of assaults.
On several occasions, disabled USVs have been recorded as having washed up on the Black Sea coast after these attacks.
“These craft are known to carry up to 300-kg payloads. A merchant vessel striking a disabled USV could cause catastrophic damage to the vessel’s hull,” Ambrey warned.
Vessels are advised to minimise sailing during low visibility and to post lookouts to identify suspicious objects on the water’s surface.
Increased risks
Earlier this year, TradeWinds reported merchant ships were facing increased risks of damage from drifting sea drones after Ukraine stepped up its attacks against Russian naval vessels.
In February, Ukrainian military intelligence claimed it had sunk a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea, the second such attack that month.
The Caesar Kunikov sank near Alupka on the southern edge of the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, according to reports.
The site was much closer to shipping lanes than in previous attacks, according to Ambrey.
