Russia strikes 2 Ukrainian ports in Odesa, hits 3 Turkish-owned vessels

Key Highlights

• A Ukrainian spokesperson told Reuters that three Turkish-owned vessels were damaged in total, but did not provide additional details. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADIn the videos circulating online, firefighters can be seen tackling a blaze on board what Ukrainian authorities described as a “civilian vessel” in Chornomorsk.
• Soon after the incident, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a statement, insisting that Russian attacks “had no … military purpose whatsoever”. More from World 3 Filipino fishermen injured in water cannon clash with China Coast Guard Venezuela's oil exports fall sharply amid the US ire: ReportToday, the Russian army carried out a missile strike on our Odesa region, and last night there was also a Russian attack on Odesa’s energy infrastructure.
• At one point we talked about the situation in this city and the people of Odesa with President Trump. Today’s Russian… Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 12, 2025“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,” Zelenskyy said.“It is crucial that … the world maintains the proper moral compass: who is dragging out this war and who is working to end it with peace, who is using ballistic missiles against civilian life, and who is striking the targets that influence the functioning of Russia’s war machine,” he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADAbout the targeted vesselIn the statement, Zelenskyy did not name the vessel, but it was identified as the Panama-flagged and Turkish-owned Cenk T, Reuters reported.
• Meanwhile, the ship’s owners, Cenk Shipping, confirmed it was attacked at about 4 pm local time. No casualties were reported among the crew, and the authorities noted that the damage to the vessel was limited.
• An employee of a private company was also injured in a separate attack on Odesa port, where a cargo loader was also damaged, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba confirmed. He also mentioned that Russia had used drones and ballistic missiles in the port strikes, which were “aimed at civilian logistics and commercial shipping”.