What Crew Members Say About Asomatos

In a tragic incident on July 16, 2026, at 12:30 a.m., the cargo ship 'Asomatos' was struck by a coordinated drone assault while navigating Russian waters near Kavkaz. The vessel, which carried a crew of 24—including three Russian port workers, three Greeks, four Egyptians, and 14 Indonesians—was transporting 4,751 metric tons of wheat at the time of the attack. During the assault, the first drone impacted the starboard side of the ship, followed by a second drone that targeted the smokestack and deck, inflicting severe damage to the living quarters. The final drone focused on the ship's number 3 crane. Sadly, this attack resulted in the death of a 54-year-old Indonesian crew member named Savaş Çakar. In light of the significant damage to the living quarters, the 'Asomatos' altered its course south towards Türkiye, eventually anchoring three nautical miles off Sarıyer Kısırkaya on July 17. Following the incident, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office dispatched a public prosecutor and crime scene investigation teams to the ship to gather detailed evidence. The body of the deceased was transferred to a patrol boat and subsequently brought ashore. As of July 23, the 'Asomatos' remained anchored at positional coordinates 41° 17' N 029° 00' E. For further details, please visit the news reports: https://denizgundem.com/rusya-karasularinda-vurulan-gemi-sariyere-demirledi-1-personel-hayatini-kaybetti/ and https://www.haberdenizde.com/denizde-gundem/denizciler-cakar-icin-agliyor/

On May 5, 2026, Ukraine's Foreign Minister issued a strong condemnation of Egypt for permitting the bulk carrier 'Asomatos' to unload what is believed to be looted Ukrainian wheat at Abu Qir. This incident has heightened an ongoing diplomatic dispute, with Kyiv alleging that Russia is orchestrating a scheme to launder pilfered agricultural goods through Egyptian waters. The 'Asomatos' docked at Abu Qir on April 28, 2026, to offload an alarming 26,900 tons of wheat, despite Ukraine's appeal for Egypt to intercept the vessel just four days prior. This event marks the fourth occurrence of what Ukraine describes as 'Russia's grain laundering operations' taking place in Egyptian ports since April. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General has already acted, sending a formal request for legal assistance to Egypt's Ministry of Justice and detailing grounds to seize the ship and its cargo before it arrived. The grain in question was exported by Agro-Frigat, a company under sanctions, through Russian-occupied Crimea, contravening international law. Historically, Ukraine has been a vital wheat supplier to Egypt, one of the globe's largest grain importers.