According to the Turkish Maritime Administration, on January 3, the general cargo ship "Happy Aras", which flies the flag Vanuatu and is owned by Turkey, ran aground near Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.

The ship, which was in ballast condition, sailing from Varna to Novorossiysk when it encountered bad weather and ran aground south of the Kerch Strait.

After the accident, the reported water ingress, and all 14 crew members were immediately evacuated.

The Turkish Maritime Rescue Center coordinated the rescue operation, and all crew members were rescued injury.

The authorities confirmed that no pollution was observed at the site of the accident. As a precautionary measure, a boom was set up around the cargo ship reduce the risk of potential fuel leaks.

Built in 1990, the "Happy Aras" cargo ship is 94.34 meters long and14 meters wide. The ship has a history of several port state control deficiencies and detention, and every PSC inspection since 2018 has found multiple issues.

Data from the Marine Traffic maritime data platform shows that the ship is currently in a "not under control" status.

In addition to issuing the relevant announcements, the department also the grounding location of the "Happy Aras" cargo ship, which is just outside a headland near the Taman oil export terminal. The terminal was attacked repeatedly by in December.