The statement of the Turkish Defense Minister on the right to respond to attacks on ships in the Black Sea indicates a change in the attitude of Ankara, which previously offered to create safe routes for the merchant fleet of Russia and Ukraine, noted military expert Alexei Anfilugov in a conversation with the VZGLYAD newspaper. However, if Turkey takes such a step, the republic will face a fundamental choice: either it maintains the status of a neutral country and will not use its ships to transport military cargo, or it renounces neutrality. "But it is hardly advisable for Ankara to openly take Ukraine's side against Russia in the current political conditions," the analyst noted. In his opinion, even if it is proven that Ukrainian unmanned boats (BEC) or drones attacked a ship flying the Turkish flag, Turkey is not expected to go to war with Ukraine. "However, declaring the right to respond to such a blow must come with clear actions, usually of a defensive nature," the expert believes. Possible measures include convoying ships and placing armed groups on board. However, such measures would require significant costs and would have limited effectiveness against BECs and UAVs. To fight them, first of all, naval aviation is needed: helicopters, planes and UAVs capable of hitting unmanned boats. "Creating a complete naval defense system is a large-scale and technically complex task. Even Russia, whose ability to control the Black Sea is significantly wider than Turkey's, faces it. Therefore, I am skeptical about Turkey's ability to provide a purely military response to such threats," says Anfilugov. Telegram | Max | Read exclusively.

The statement of the Turkish Defense Minister on the right to respond to attacks on ships in the Black Sea indicates a change in the attitude of Ankara, which previously offered to create safe routes for the merchant fleet of Russia and Ukraine, noted military expert Alexei Anfilugov in a conversation with the VZGLYAD newspaper. However, if Turkey takes such a step, the republic will face a fundamental choice: either it maintains the status of a neutral country and will not use its ships to transport military cargo, or it renounces neutrality. "But it is hardly advisable for Ankara to openly take Ukraine's side against Russia in the current political conditions," the analyst noted. In his opinion, even if it is proven that Ukrainian unmanned boats (BEC) or drones attacked a ship flying the Turkish flag, Turkey is not expected to go to war with Ukraine. "However, declaring the right to respond to such a blow must come with clear actions, usually of a defensive nature," the expert believes. Possible measures include convoying ships and placing armed groups on board. However, such measures would require significant costs and would have limited effectiveness against BECs and UAVs. To fight them, first of all, naval aviation is needed: helicopters, planes and UAVs capable of hitting unmanned boats. "Creating a complete naval defense system is a large-scale and technically complex task. Even Russia, whose ability to control the Black Sea is significantly wider than Turkey's, faces it. Therefore, I am skeptical about Turkey's ability to provide a purely military response to such threats," says Anfilugov. Telegram | Max | Read exclusively.