Bomb strikes Turkish-owned ship in Black Sea; no injuries reported

Turkish officials reported no injuries after a bomb struck a Turkish-owned ship in the Black Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Turkey’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs confirmed the bombing on Thursday, adding that no one was hurt in the attack. 

The latest attack highlighted concerns that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would disrupt vital shipping routes in the Black Sea, which carries most of the world’s wheat and other agricultural products, according to the Journal. 

This comes as Turkey has shown support for Ukraine during the ordeal, even though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has a close relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. 

“Turkey supports Ukraine’s struggle to preserve its territorial integrity,” Erdoğan said in an address on Thursday, adding that he also condemns Russia’s invasion of the country. 

Turkey has purchased weapons from Russia, but is also a member of NATO and has sold drones to Ukraine that were used in its conflict with Russian separatists, the Journal reported. 

This comes as Putin announced that Russia has launched a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday. 

In a televised address before the attack, Putin claimed the operation is aimed to protect eastern Ukraine from what he called a “regime.” 

The Kremlin has been building its forces along the Ukrainian border for weeks, also conducting joint military operations in Belarus.

The U.S. and its NATO allies have issued firm warnings to Russia to push back on their invasion attempt in the hope to lower tension in the region. 

According to Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey, Turkey is also debating whether to ban Russian ships from entering the Black Sea through two straits that Turkey controls, the Journal noted.