ISTANBUL, August 9. /TASS/. The owner of the Turkish MV Reyhan Sari dry cargo vessel that was attacked by a Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea is filing a lawsuit against Ukraine with the International Criminal Court (ICC), the HaberDenizde news portal reported.

According to earlier reports, the Turkish dry cargo ship MV Reyhan Sari, carrying coal from the Russian port of Taman to Trabzon, was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea on July 22. One crew member was killed and two others received injuries.

According to HaberDenizde, the suit will be lodged by T ve O Denizcilik, the ship’s owner, along with 15 crew members. The appeal that was handed over to lawyers notes that commercial vessels enjoy protection under international law and cannot be considered as military targets. It also says that Ukraine deliberately attacked the Turkish vessel, which constitutes a crime against humanity.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said earlier that Ankara was closely monitoring the situation regarding the security of navigation in the Black Sea and had proposed that the parties to the Ukrainian conflict declare a moratorium on combat operations, including in the context of the situation in the Black Sea.

Apart from that, the Turkish foreign ministry earlier expressed serious concern over the escalation of the conflict in the Black Sea. It warned about serious consequences, including in terms of food security, if no measures are taken to contain it.