Ukraine Strikes Five Russian Warships as Türkiye Absorbs Black Sea Fallout
By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Ukraine's Defence Intelligence confirmed hits on five Russian warships in the Black Sea, extending a campaign that has progressively reduced Russia's naval capacity and pushed its remaining assets into ports that are themselves now under attack.
The vessels struck include large landing ships and anti-submarine corvettes. Russia has not confirmed the losses. By early 2026, Ukraine's Defence Ministry placed cumulative losses at roughly 30 percent of the Black Sea Fleet, destroyed or seriously damaged, without Kyiv operating a conventional navy of its own.
The fleet that once launched Kalibr cruise missiles from Sevastopol relocated to Novorossiysk. Ukrainian strikes have followed.
Montreux Locks the Door
Türkiye closed the Turkish Straits to warships of belligerent states in 2022 under the 1936 Montreux Convention, the international agreement granting Ankara legal authority over passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. The closure kept NATO vessels out of the Black Sea. It also cut Russia off from rotating or reinforcing its fleet.
Every confirmed hit on a Russian warship is, under those conditions, a permanent loss.
Shadow Fleet Shifts Course
As Ukrainian strikes have made central and eastern Black Sea waters more dangerous, tankers linked to Russia's shadow fleet have adjusted their routes closer to Türkiye's coastline, as reported by Bosphorus News. Shadow fleet vessels are tankers operating outside standard Western insurance and compliance systems, typically older ships with complex ownership structures and limited regulatory oversight.
The rerouting is not coordinated. It is a practical response by operators seeking safer corridors. Ageing, poorly insured vessels are moving through sea lanes adjacent to Turkish shores, raising accident risk with direct consequences for coastal communities, fisheries and maritime trade.
Turkish Shipping Under Fire
The exposure has already produced concrete incidents. On December 12, 2025, a vessel operated by Cenk Shipping was damaged in a Russian strike on Ukraine's Chornomorsk port, as documented by Bosphorus News. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed no Turkish citizens were harmed and called for arrangements to protect navigation safety and suspend attacks on port infrastructure.
Days later, the limits of that position became visible. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's reported appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a limited ceasefire window to shield commercial shipping was followed within hours by further strikes near Ukrainian ports where Turkish-linked vessels were docked. As documented by Bosphorus News, diplomatic access did not translate into operational protection.
No Exit from the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a commercial corridor, an energy route and a legal responsibility Türkiye cannot set aside. Sanctions enforcement has pushed shadow fleet traffic into Turkish coastal waters. Strikes on Ukrainian ports have hit Turkish vessels. A direct appeal to Moscow produced no ceasefire.
Ukraine is dismantling the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The secondary effects are already arriving on Türkiye's shores, in shifting tanker routes, damaged cargo vessels and diplomatic requests that Moscow did not honour.
***Ukrainian strike claims are based on Defence Intelligence and General Staff statements and have not been independently verified. Russia has not confirmed vessel losses.