❗️Russia-Ukraine attacks intensify in Black Sea ahead of winter, Turkiye says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that escalating Russian and Ukrainian attacks ahead of winter are posing a growing threat to navigation in the Black Sea, warning that world powers must prevent the region from becoming another front in the war.

NATO member Turkiye, which has maintained relations with both Moscow and Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly urged both sides to halt attacks in the Black Sea, including strikes that have hit Turkish-flagged and Turkish-owned commercial vessels. Ankara has said it is awaiting responses to a proposal submitted to Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending the attacks and securing the safe transport of grain from the region.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban in Ankara, Fidan said the attacks, which he described as a serious threat to regional security, were intensifying despite Turkiye's proposals to address the situation.

"At the moment, both sides are engaged in tremendous attacks to establish some sort of military superiority over each other before we go into winter, and this seriously impacts navigational safety in the Black Sea," Fidan said.

"As regional countries (and) the international ‌community, we ⁠must never allow the Black Sea to be turned into a new front for conflict. However, unfortunately as you can see, as the war expands, it is also showing its effects in the Black Sea," he said.