Russia tells Turkey it has “nothing to do” with strike on Ukraine’s Odesa port – Turkish minister

Flags of Turkey, Russia, the United Nations and Ukraine are seen on the day of a signing ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey July 22, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ANKARA, July 23 (Reuters) – Turkey’s defence minister said on Saturday Russian officials had told Ankara that Moscow had “nothing to do” with strikes on Ukraine’s Odesa port.

“In our contact with Russia, the Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack, and that they were examining the issue very closely and in detail,” Defence Minister Hulusai Akar said in a statement.

“The fact that such an incident took place right after the agreement we made yesterday really worried us,” he added.

Reporting by Ece Toksabay, Editing by Angus MacSwan

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