Türkiye voiced concern on Friday after a foreign-flagged vessel operated by a Turkish company was damaged in an attack on Ukraine’s Chornomorsk Port, stating the incident reaffirms prior warnings about the war's spillover into the Black Sea.
“This incident points to the validity of our previously recorded concerns regarding maritime security and freedom of navigation, as the war in our region continues to spread across the Black Sea,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Initial reports indicate crew members and truck drivers were evacuated safely, with no Turkish nationals injured. The Consulate General in Odesa is monitoring the situation and assisting citizens as needed.
“On this occasion, we once again emphasize the importance of bringing the war between Russia and Ukraine to an immediate end,” the ministry added.
It reiterated the urgency of establishing regulations to halt attacks on navigation safety, as well as energy and port infrastructure, to avert further escalation in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian media reported Russia launched a ballistic missile and drone assault on the Odesa region, causing explosions in Chornomorsk and surrounding areas, with air defenses activated against threats from the Black Sea.
"Russia launched a missile strike on civilian port infrastructure in the Odesa region," Ukraine's Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
Turkish maritime company Cenk Shipping said in a statement that its vessel "loaded entirely with fresh fruits, vegetables and food supplies on the Karasu-Odesa route, was subjected to an air attack today at 16:00 local time, shortly after docking at the Chornomorsk port."
Images on social media showed the blue-and-white vessel on fire.
The ship is a 185-metre-long ferry that sailed under the Panama flag, according to an information document on the firm's website.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Friday that "a civilian vessel in the port of Chornomorsk was damaged," without identifying the ship.
"This once again proves that the Russians not only refuse to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but are also continuing the war aimed precisely at destroying normal life in Ukraine," he said on social media.
The attack came as Türkiye in the past weeks warned of a "worrying escalation" in the Black Sea after Ukraine claimed naval drone attacks on Russia-linked tankers in the area.
Erdoğan had called for a "limited ceasefire" concerning attacks on ports and energy facilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, during face-to-face talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday.
