Turkish Car Ferry Struck in Odesa: Rising Tensions as War Escalates

Sat Dec 13 2025 21:11:44 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Turkish cargo ferry ignites in Odesa after a strike linked to rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The incident raises alarms amid ongoing military conflicts.

A Turkish car ferry, the Cenk T, was damaged by a strike in the Ukrainian port of Odesa shortly after docking. The incident, which Ukraine attributes to Russian aggression, happens against a backdrop of escalating warfare in the region. Emergency responders acted quickly, and fortunately, no crew injuries were reported. This attack underscores the growing tensions related to maritime operations in the Black Sea.

A large fire broke out on a Turkish car ferry anchored at the Ukrainian port city of Odesa after it was hit in a strike on Friday.

The company that operates the Cenk T confirmed the attack occurred at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) shortly after it docked at the Chornomorsk port.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed the strike on Russia, which has not commented.

The attack came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial. Russia has resisted all calls for a ceasefire.

Moscow has threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea in response to Kyiv's maritime drone attacks on Russia's tankers that are believed to be used to fund the ongoing war.

Cenk Denizcilik, the company that owns the cargo ship, stated it was carrying essential food supplies when the strike occurred. Emergency measures were activated immediately, involving the vessel's crew and local firefighting resources.

At this stage, there are no reports of casualties or injuries among the crew, they added.

Video footage from Zelensky’s Telegram account showed first responders combatting the flames on the vessel. The Ukrainian leader condemned the strike, attributing it to a pattern of missile attacks by Russia against the Odesa region.

Turkey's foreign ministry expressed the need for a guarantee of shipping security and advocated for a suspension of attacks against energy and port infrastructure to avoid further escalation. They reiterated the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, given Turkey's strategic interest in maintaining diplomatic ties with both nations.