Container Feeder Aurelia Hit by Suspected Drone Strike After Departing Novorossiysk

Turkish media report that the small container feeder Aurelia was struck by a drone while under way in the Black Sea this week, in the latest incident affecting merchant shipping linked to Russian and Ukrainian trade.

The vessel had departed Novorossiysk when a drone reportedly hit containers on the starboard side. Aurelia diverted to a port of refuge and arrived at Samsun for inspection. Video from the ship’s arrival shows at least three 40-foot containers damaged three bays forward of the wheelhouse, with crew imagery indicating a brief, localized fire that was quickly contained.

Damaged containers were offloaded at the pier, and the vessel remains at anchor outside the port. No injuries were reported, and damage to the ship appears limited. Turkish authorities have opened an investigation; no party has claimed responsibility.

Built in 1998, Aurelia has a long record of port state control deficiencies. AIS data from ShipAtlas shows a transmission gap between January 13–17 after the vessel exited the Bosporus, a pattern commonly observed for ships trading in the Russian sector of the Black Sea. Her last broadcast destination was Novorossiysk, with an ETA of January 15, consistent with historical trading patterns in the area.

According ShipAtlas, the vessel has resumed to operations with a current heading back to Novorossiysk. As the latest AIS transmission seems to be 19 hours ago, Aurelia appears to have gone into "dark mode" again.