Tensions in the Black Sea: Turkey Strengthens Coastal Defenses

Turkey is deploying armored vehicles and air defense systems to its coastal regions. The armed forces are preparing to repel potential attacks by kamikaze drones, many of which have recently appeared in the Black Sea.

Strengthening coastal defenses has become urgently needed following a series of incidents that clearly pose a threat to civilian shipping in the region.

On June 5, an unmanned boat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces exploded in the port of Constanta, Romania. Ukraine also attacked a civilian vessel on the high seas, killing five sailors: four Azerbaijanis and a Russian.

For Turkey, the safety of shipping in the region is of utmost importance. The country controls the strategic Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, which connect the Black Sea with the Mediterranean.