LONDON, June 1. /TASS/. Resumed Ukrainian attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea jeopardized international mercantile navigation in the region, UK-based maritime security management company Ambrey told TASS.
Three tankers used to transport Russian hydrocarbons were attacked by Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles within the exclusive economic zone of Turkey, Ambrey said.
"Ukraine has resumed strikes inside Turkish waters after a diplomatically driven pause, signaling renewed intent to act well outside the recognized conflict zone," the company said.
The threat to merchant vessels in exclusive economic zones of Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia "is assessed as elevated and likely to persist through the summer operating season," company experts noted.
"It is highly likely that strikes against merchant vessels will continue in Black Sea waters, where direct targeting is now an established feature of the conflict. The arrival of more permissive weather and calmer sea states, historically a driver of intensified unmanned-system activity, makes it likely that the operational tempo will remain high through the season," Ambrey noted.