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Russia launched attacks on two Ukrainian ports on Friday, hitting three vessels owned by Turkish companies, including a ship transporting food supplies, according to Ukrainian officials and one of the ship owners. The strike comes shortly after Moscow warned it could cut Ukraine off from maritime routes.
The attacks follow a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who threatened retaliation against Kyiv’s drone strikes on what Russia calls its “shadow fleet” of tankers. Ukraine says these tankers are a major source of revenue funding Russia’s ongoing war, now in its fourth year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shared images of a large fire aboard a ship in Chornomorsk port, in Odesa region, showing firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze. “This is proof that Russia continues to wage war in ways that deliberately harm ordinary life in Ukraine,” he said.
The vessel, operated by Cenk Shipping, was identified as the Cenk T, which came under attack around 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT). No crew members were injured, and the company reported only limited damage.
A verified video shows the attack, with the vessel and surrounding port infrastructure matching satellite imagery of Chornomorsk. Fabian Hinz, a defense analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, identified the weapon used as a Russian Geran-2 loitering drone.
▪️Türk gemisinin vurulma anı.
— Zafer Şahin (@zafersahin06) December 12, 2025
İnanılmaz bir görüntü…
▪️Kargo gemisi CENK-T, Rus füzesiyle vuruldu.
▪️Sakarya-Karasu'dan Romanya'ya, oradan Ukrayna'nın Odesa Limanı'na giden Panama bayraklı yolcu ve konteyner gemisi CENK-T, Rus İskender füzesinin hedefi oldu.
▪️Türk CENK… pic.twitter.com/qKNgfb2EoS
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksiy Kuleba, described the strikes as targeting civilian logistics and commercial shipping. He confirmed that drones and ballistic missiles were used, and that a separate attack on Odesa port injured one private company employee and damaged cargo-handling equipment.
Ukraine’s navy confirmed that three Turkish-owned vessels were damaged in total, while Turkey’s foreign ministry acknowledged the Chornomorsk damage but reported no Turkish casualties. In a statement, Turkey called for a halt to attacks that threaten maritime navigation, energy infrastructure, and ports, urging both sides to prevent further escalation in the Black Sea.
The Odesa region’s three major ports are crucial to Ukraine’s export-driven economy. Ukraine has also intensified operations against Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Caspian Sea in recent days, targeting tankers allegedly carrying military equipment and key oil infrastructure.
