The Sea Bridge ferry’s journey from Trabzon to Sochi faced a significant setback as it was denied entry into the Sochi port, forcing the vessel to return to Turkey after spending over two days at sea. Sergey Turkmenyan, General Director of SVS Shipping LLC and Director of Marine Infrastructure Development at the Black Sea Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, confirmed the incident to RIA Novosti on November 9.
“The ferry was refused entry to Sochi port after waiting for two and a half days. It departed Trabzon without disembarking passengers in their homeland,” a source within the agency stated.
The maritime route between Russia and Turkey, which had remained inactive for 14 years, saw the Sea Bridge vessel attempt its inaugural voyage on the Trabzon–Sochi route. The ferry arrived in Sochi around 10:00 but was barred from entering due to a lack of permission to access Russian territorial waters. Additionally, the Sochi port was closed for exercises until 12:00. On November 7, the ship eventually received clearance to enter the port.
Passengers reported that the vessel underwent inspections in Sochi, including a dive check of its hull. Some travelers faced disrupted travel plans as their flights within Russia were canceled.
