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The owner of the Turkish-flagged cargo ship Reyhan Sari and 15 crew members are preparing to file a complaint against Ukraine with the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging the vessel was deliberately targeted in a Black Sea attack that killed a Turkish sailor.
The legal move follows the July 22 attack on the vessel, which was sailing from Russia's Port of Taman to Trabzon with a cargo of coal when it was struck by a drone off Novorossiysk. One Turkish crew member was killed and several others were injured.
The application, obtained by Turkish maritime news outlet haberdenizde.com, is being submitted on behalf of T and O Denizcilik, the ship's owner.
According to the application, civilian merchant ships are protected under international humanitarian law during wartime and cannot be considered military targets.
The filing argues that Ukraine deliberately struck the Turkish-flagged vessel, specifically targeting its accommodation area with the intent to kill civilians. It further alleges that the attack constitutes crimes against humanity and claims explosives containing cluster munitions with armor-piercing capabilities were used.
The complaint is expected to be submitted to the ICC in The Hague on behalf of the Turkish side.
Reyhan Sari was purchased by T and O Maritime in 2023 before being registered under the Turkish flag during an official ceremony and entered into the Turkish International Ship Registry, according to the application.
Ukrainian military authorities announced strikes on 13 vessels in the Black and Azov seas on the day of the incident, saying they targeted ships supporting Russia's military logistics and energy exports, but they did not identify Reyhan Sari as one of them.
Following the attack, the damaged vessel continued under its own power and later reached the Turkish port of Trabzon.
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