Today’s (12 December) attack on Ukraine’s Chornomorsk Port, in which a foreign flagged vessel owned by a Turkish company was damaged, validates our previously stated concerns regarding the spread of the ongoing war in the region to the Black Sea, and its impact on maritime security and freedom of navigation.

According to initial information, the crew and truck drivers on board are being evacuated, and no Turkish citizens have been harmed in the attack. Our Consulate General in Odessa is closely monitoring the developments and providing the necessary assistance to our citizens.

We once again underline the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and reiterate the necessity of an arrangement whereby the parties suspend attacks targeting the safety of navigation as well as each other's energy and port infrastructure in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea.