Turkish Car Ferry Hit by Air Strike at Ukraine’s Odesa Port
A Turkish car ferry, Cenk T, was damaged in an air strike at the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Friday, triggering a major fire onboard. The vessel was anchored at Chornomorsk port when it was hit around 4:00 pm local time, according to operator Cenk Denizcilik. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for the attack, though Moscow has not commented on the incident.
The ferry was reportedly carrying essential food supplies when the strike occurred. Emergency response teams, including the ship’s crew, port firefighters and tugboats, were deployed to control the blaze, which broke out in the forward section of the vessel. The company confirmed there were no casualties or injuries among the crew. Video footage shared by Ukrainian authorities showed intense flames and efforts to douse the fire.
The attack came amid renewed diplomatic calls for a limited ceasefire covering ports and energy infrastructure, proposed earlier by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Turkey’s foreign ministry urged steps to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea and prevent further escalation. Later the same day, additional Russian strikes damaged port infrastructure in Odesa, knocking out power to thousands of homes and highlighting the continued risks to civilian and commercial facilities in the region.
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