Turkiye evacuates 83 crew from ships docked at Ukrainian ports

ISTANBUL

At least 83 crew members were evacuated from Turkish ships docked at Ukrainian ports as the war continues in the country, Turkish officials said Wednesday.

The crew was on board 23 Turkish-flagged or -owned vessels, Turkiye's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs said in a tweet.

The directorate-general has been working with the Foreign Ministry to evacuate other people, it added.

“Cargo operations in Russian ports continue, except for the Sea of ​​Azov ports,” it said.

Turkiye has so far evacuated 13,120 Turkish citizens from Ukraine.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 474 civilians have been killed and 861 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, which noted that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Some 2 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN Refugee Agency.