Tuapse port has been specially adapted to these traffic flows, with dedicated ventilated warehouses to temporarily store the fresh produce as well as a large fleet of reefer trailers to handle final distribution within Russia. Operators have favoured Tuapse over the larger but more congested Novorossiysk port.

The system had functioned successfully for some years, but Tuapse has recently come under attack by Ukrainian drones, as it is also an oil export terminal. Initially, operators responded by switching off vessels' AIS transponders and providing false destination data. However, the attack on the NADEZHDA represents a new escalation in the conflict, with owner Kalyoncu since stating that it is suspending its services as crews are unwilling to take the risks.

It has since emerged that owners are reacting quickly to the new security threat, fitting drone protection screens to their RoRo fleets. The first vessel understood to have been retrofitted with net protection screens is the 5,589 GT, 800 lane-metre L KOCATEPE.

Meanwhile, the fire-damaged NADEZHDA has been towed back to Samsun. With most of its forward accommodation and bridge structure destroyed, it remains unclear whether the vessel will be repaired or scrapped. The 22 crew members, including 13 Turkish citizens, were safely evacuated by Russian maritime forces to Novorossiysk. Four crew members were injured in the attack.

Sister vessel URAL, along with other RoRo ships sailing from Samsun to Russia such as BARBAT, ZUBEYDE and LIANA N, continue to operate.

© Shippax