Russia Retaliates: Turkish-Owned Cargo Ship Attacked At Ukrainian Port

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has warned against the ongoing escalation of the war on maritime shipping in the Black Sea, after on Friday serious damage was sustained by a Turkish-owned vessel during a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, in Odesa oblast.

The ministry confirmed that a ship operated by a Turkish company is on fire. At least one person, possibly a dockworker, was reported injured – but there doesn’t appear to be further casualties. The forward section of the vessel is ablaze, based on several social media images and videos, amid a large emergency response.

The vessel identified as the RoPax, appeared to be docked while transporting cargo to Ukraine. It was a rare midday attack on the busy port.

“The Ukrainian Air Force had issued the alert at around 1500 local time, reporting high-speed targets coming from the south,” Maritime Executive reports. “It is believed that at least two ballistic missiles had been fired, as well as a launch of drones.

The report adds: “It followed an overnight barrage on the same region, which reportedly left more than 90,000 families without electricity. The missiles were targeting Odesa and Chornomorsk, while the drones also targeted Pivdenne.”

Turkey in the wake of the attack called for an immediate stop to the war and especially urged for escalation to cease in the Black Sea.

Likely Moscow views this as retaliation for several recent Ukrainian drone attacks on tankers transporting oil and gas from Russian ports. These attacks have been stepped up of late, and long-range drones have even damaged a Lukoil oil and gas platform all the way in the Caspian Sea this week.

Watch: The moment of Russian kamikaze drone strike on a Turkish cargo ship at Ukraine’s Odesa Port…

The moment of Russian kamikaze drone strike on a Turkish cargo ship at Ukraine’s Odesa Port. https://t.co/pkXypMmiMF pic.twitter.com/haqshYUHLu

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 12, 2025

Turkey’s official statement reiterated “concerns regarding maritime security and freedom of navigation, as the ongoing war in our region is spreading to the Black Sea… we once again emphasize the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and we recall the need for an arrangement to ensure navigation safety in the Black Sea and for the parties to suspend attacks targeting energy and port infrastructure in order to prevent escalation.”