Drone-Damaged Vessel Great Ocean Transits Bosphorus Under Tow Escort

The bulk carrier Great Ocean, which sustained a direct hit to its bridge tower in a drone attack in the Black Sea several weeks ago, has transited the Bosphorus Strait toward the Sea of Marmara. The vessel was escorted by tugboats during the passage, according to images published by TurkishStraits. Photographs of the ship show extensive structural damage to its superstructure, consistent with a direct strike on the bridge area. The extent of the attack and the party responsible were not detailed in the available material, though the incident is the latest in a series of drone and missile attacks affecting commercial shipping in the Black Sea region amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Black Sea has seen repeated attacks on merchant vessels and port infrastructure since the escalation of hostilities, prompting shipowners and insurers to reassess risk in the area. The transit of a heavily damaged vessel under tug escort through the Bosphorus underscores the continued disruption to commercial traffic passing between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. No casualties or further details regarding the cargo, flag state, or ownership of the Great Ocean were disclosed in the source material. Turkish maritime authorities, who oversee traffic through the strait, have not issued a separate statement on the transit.