A recently released video on social media has reignited concerns over navigation safety in the Black Sea, being interpreted as a potential sign of renewed tensions between Russia and Turkey.
The footage, reportedly taken near the port of Odesa, shows a Russian Geran drone approaching the harbor. The scene was filmed by crew members of ships anchored nearby. The attack occurred while Turkish-owned vessels were present in the port, adding political significance, particularly in the context of Ankara’s mediating role and direct communications between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The video emerged after reports that Russia had launched combined drone and ballistic missile strikes on two Ukrainian ports in the Odesa region. Three Turkish-owned ships were damaged, including one carrying humanitarian food aid. The attacks followed Moscow’s warnings that it would “practically isolate Ukraine from the sea” in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian tanker vessels considered by Kyiv as a significant financial source for Russia’s war effort.
The incident took place just hours after a phone conversation between Erdogan and Putin, during which the Turkish president proposed a limited ceasefire covering ports and energy infrastructure as a step toward easing tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by sharing images from the port of Chornomorsk, showing one of the targeted ships ablaze while emergency crews attempted to extinguish the fire. He stated that these attacks demonstrate Moscow’s unwillingness to pursue diplomacy and highlight its aim to disrupt normal life in Ukraine.
