Turkish Car Ferry Struck in Attack at Ukrainian Port, Sparks Fire

Sat Dec 13 2025 21:59:51 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Turkish car ferry was severely damaged by a strike in the Ukrainian port of Odesa, leading to a significant fire. President Zelensky accuses Russia of orchestrating the attack, amid rising tensions in the region.

A Turkish car ferry named Cenk T was hit in a strike at Odesa port, igniting a large fire shortly after it docked. President Zelensky attributed the assault to Russia, which remains silent. The attack follows discussions between Turkish President Erdogan and Russian President Putin regarding a potential ceasefire. No casualties have been reported among the crew as emergency services engage in firefighting efforts. Turkey's foreign ministry stresses the need for securing maritime routes and calls for an end to the conflict.

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 Volodymr 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...

Moscow has threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea in response to Kyiv's maritime drone attacks on Russia's shadow fleet tankers thought to be used to export oil - and a main source for funding the ongoing war...

Cenk Denizcilik, the company that owns the cargo ship, said it had been carrying essential food supplies when it was hit shortly after anchoring at the Ukrainian port city...

Emergency response measures were activated with the vessel's crew, port fire brigade, and assisting tugboats after the fire broke out. As of now, there are no reports of casualties or injuries among the crew...

Video footage of the attack's aftermath shows crews attempting to extinguish a large blaze on the vessel. President Zelensky condemned the attack, stating the strike on a civilian Turkish ship could not have any military purpose...