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In a Discord server, someone pointed out the following article by Russian state news media about a Turkish cargo ship which was reportedly hit by a bomb on the way from Odessa to Romania:

Turkish Cargo Ship in Black Sea Reportedly Hit by 'Bomb' en Route From Odessa

Obviously if this event is real, it's cause for concern, because Turkey is a NATO member and might even invoke Article 5 over this, pulling the rest of Europe into the conflict.

However, I'm skeptical because it's now half a day later and I haven't found any articles from non-Russian news outlets apart from a single article in a trade magazine about international shipping. I would assume that if this incident did happen, it would have been front page reporting on major international outlets.

Did a Turkish cargo ship get hit by a bomb in the Black Sea today?

Oddthinking
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Nzall
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    I don't think that Article V is implicated in accidental damage, or damage that can plausibly be claimed to be accidental. – Acccumulation Feb 27 '22 at 04:27
  • "I'm skeptical because ... I haven't found any articles from non-Russian news outlets". Since this is an example of an **accident by the Russians**, it's **exactly the opposite of** something to be skeptical about from the Russians. – RonJohn Feb 28 '22 at 03:46

1 Answers1

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It was reported on Lloyd's so it's probably real. I don't have a subscription, so I can't access (all) the details.

Turkish bulker hit by bomb off Odessa. The Yasa Jupiter suffered no casualties. It was on its way to Romanian waters, says Turkey’s Maritime General Directorate. Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier rocked by blast as Russia invades Ukraine [...]

There's a bridge photo too. It's a huge ship (200m long) so it's somewhat plausible nobody was (seriously) hurt even though the windows were blown in on the bridge, judging from the photo.

Another account in Fortune:

A ship chartered by Cargill Inc. was hit while sailing in Ukrainian waters in the Black Sea and is currently sailing south to Romanian waters to receive assistance, the U.S. agricultural trading giant said.

“The vessel and all crew are safe and accounted for,” Cargill said Thursday in a statement.

The attack is the first confirmed instance of physical damage related to commodity trading in the region. Ukraine and Russia together account for more than a quarter of the global trade in wheat and about a fifth of corn. That trade has been thrown into chaos after Ukraine’s ports closed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of the country.

Cargill didn’t confirm the name of the vessel. Istanbul-based YA-SA Holding said earlier that Yasa Jupiter, a Marshall Island-flagged ship it owns, was slightly damaged by a shell after unloading coal at the Ukrainian port of Odesa. It was unclear whether the ship was deliberately targeted or who fired the shell, and the vessel is heading under its own power to the closest port for a damage assessment, YA-SA said.

Fizz
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    According to Ukrainian authorities, two other ships have been hit. https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/02/26/Ukraine-says-two-commercial-ships-hit-by-Russian-missiles-near-Odessa-port Russia actually confirmed [one of these](https://tass.com/emergencies/1411331), predictably, the one which has Russian crew. And they blamed Ukraine for allegedly attacking two other Russian cargo ships https://tass.com/emergencies/1410025 – Fizz Feb 26 '22 at 19:07
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    Also, Japan Times confirms the hit on the Japanese ship (Namura Queen) https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/02/26/national/ukraine-japan-shipping/ Photos here of the other two ships https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/37381/japanese-bulk-carrier-hit-missile-count-stricken-s/ – Fizz Feb 26 '22 at 19:12