Turkish Cargo Ship In Ukraine Hit By Russian Missile Strike In Kherson Region

A Turkish general cargo vessel that was stranded in Ukraine since the beginning of the war about two years ago is now the latest victim. The Turkish media has reportedly confirmed that the vessel was impaired in the most recent assault on the Kherson region by Russia. It is likely to sink at the dock.

Russia’s forces have unleashed a barrage of rockets on the region overnight, per the district administrator. He further reported that a farm, 12 high-rise apartment buildings, 15 private homes, and a grain elevator were attacked apart from the cargo ship. A person was known to have been killed, while two were injured. Separate drone attacks included nine being shot down in Odesa and one in Mykolaiv.

The dry cargo vessel dubbed the Kuruoglu 3, operated by Turkey’s Kuruglu Maritime Company, reached Kherson back in 2022 (February 22), with a firm official mentioning to the Turkish Deniz Media that the vessel was present to unload urea worth 2,800 metric tons when it was trapped by the war beginning.

Efforts to have the vessel released became unfruitful as Kherson wasn’t part of the grain deal or the Ukraine-established corridor. The firm reported to the Turkish media that two missiles had been fired and struck the vessel that was built back in 1990. The ship is 7,600 dwt and is almost 358 feet in length.

It is unclear whether the crew members were still aboard the ship. Media reports had images of the ship listing farther away from the dock, with the firm saying it had begun taking on water. He mentioned that the ropes held the vessel, but they expected lines to break and the ship to sink along the dock. In 2023, Erdogan, the Turkish President, mentioned that 12 vessels from Turkey were stranded in Ukraine’s ports and that they were striving to get the ship released.

A spokesperson on behalf of the shipowners and the operators’ association informed the Turkish media that they believed 60 foreign-flagged vessels were stranded at Ukrainian ports. A few of the vessels stranded in Ukraine could access the corridor established in August last year and departed. However, the ones beyond the primary three ports could not leave.

Reference: BNNBreaking

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Source: Maritime Shipping News