Europe Asia News

The Hong Kong-flagged Golden Sapling, a tanker carrying chemical and petroleum products that was reportedly targeted in a drone attack in the Black Sea, drifted after sustaining damage and ran aground in Türkiye's Black Sea province of Samsun.

The tanker, used to transport chemical and petroleum products, reached the shore in the Geyikkoşan area of Alaçam district in Samsun, on Türkiye's Black Sea coast. The vessel was reported to have lost control and begun drifting following a drone attack said to have occurred in the Black Sea, moving from off the coast of Sinop to the shores of Samsun.

Location data indicated that the vessel was in the Balaklava area of Sevastopol, on Russia's Black Sea coast, on August 25, 2026. Golden Sapling was later reported to have moved toward Russia and continued sailing in the Black Sea in the days before the attack.

According to information obtained, the vessel was targeted in a drone attack while sailing in the Black Sea. Following the attack, the damaged Golden Sapling is believed to have begun drifting off Sinop and reached Türkiye's Samsun coast due to currents and navigational conditions.

The origin of the drones used in the attack, the location from which the attack was carried out and the actor behind it remain unknown. Therefore, there is currently no verified assessment attributing the attack to any country or armed group.

The extent of the damage sustained by Golden Sapling, the vessel's technical condition and the number of crew members on board at the time of the attack have also yet to be clarified.

The tanker was sailing along one of the major routes for commercial maritime traffic in the Black Sea. The Black Sea, bordered by Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia, is a strategic maritime area used for the international transportation of oil and petroleum products, grain and other commercial cargo.

Golden Sapling's drifting to the Turkish coast and running aground following the attack has once again brought attention to the security risks faced by commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

Further examinations are expected to clarify why the vessel drifted, the extent of the damage caused by the attack and the future status of Golden Sapling.