By Yuliia Dysa and Max Hunder
KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports on Friday, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels including a ship carrying food supplies, Ukrainian officials and one ship owner said, days after Moscow threatened to cut “Ukraine off from the sea”.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation against Kyiv’s maritime drone attacks on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” tankers thought to be used to export oil, which Kyiv says is Russia’s main source of funding for its almost four-year-old war.
The attack on Friday came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted photos which showed a large fire burning aboard a ship in the port of Chornomorsk in Odesa region, with firefighters tackling the blaze.
“This proves once again that Russians not only fail to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but also continue the war precisely to destroy normal life in Ukraine,” he said.
That vessel’s owner, Cenk Shipping, said Cenk T vessel had been subject to attack around 16:00 Ukraine time (1400 GMT).
“At this stage, there are no reports of casualties or injuries among the crew. Based on the information currently available, the damage appears to be limited,” it said in a statement.
Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately reply to Reuters’ request for comment.
“The strike is aimed at civilian logistics and commercial shipping,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
NAVIGATION SAFETY TARGETED
Russia attacked Ukrainian ports with drones and ballistic missiles, Kuleba added.
He said that one employee of a private company had been injured in a separate attack on Odesa port, and that a cargo loader had been damaged there.
Ukraine’s navy spokesperson told Reuters that three vessels were damaged in total, all Turkish-owned. But the spokesperson did not provide additional details.
Turkey’s foreign ministry confirmed damage in the Chornomorsk port, adding that there were no reports of injured Turkish citizens.
Reuters was able to verify the vessel by the design and name of the bow that matched file imagery of the Cenk T vessel.
“We reiterate the need for an arrangement whereby, in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea, attacks targeting navigational safety as well as the parties’ energy and port infrastructure are suspended,” the ministry’s statement said.
The three large Black Sea ports in the Odesa region are a key economic artery for Ukraine, which is a major commodities exporter.
In addition to the so-called “shadow fleet” tankers, Kyiv has ramped up pressure on Moscow by hitting targets in the Caspian Sea this week, including vessels allegedly carrying military equipment and a major oil rig.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, Max Hunder, Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv and Ece Toksabay in Ankara; Additonal reporting by Monica Naime; Editing by Alison Williams, Kirsten Donovan and Hugh Lawson)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.