Ukraine's President Volodymr Zelensky has blamed the strike on Russia, which has not commented. The attack came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial. While condemning a series of missile attacks that Russia had carried out on the Odesa region the night before, the Ukrainian leader blamed Moscow for targeting the civilian Turkish ship, saying it "could not have any military meaning". "We once again underline the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine," the ministry said. Turkey has sought to maintain relations with the two warring countries since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.