Filipino crewmen of ship hit by bomb off Ukraine all safe — DFA
Russian military vehicles are seen loaded on train platforms some 50 km off the border with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in Russia’s southern Rostov region on February 23, 2022. (AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — All crew members of a Turkish ship, including 11 Filipinos, are safe after it was rocked by a bomb near Odessa port in Ukraine, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Philippine Embassy in Ankara and the Philippine Consulate General in Istanbu, according to the DFA, l have been coordinating with Yasa Holding, the registered owner of the stricken ship.
“All crew members onboard, including 11 Filipinos, were not hurt and are safe,” the DFA said in a statement on Saturday, citing Yasa.
“The Filipino crew members have already contacted their families in the Philippines,” it added.The Philippine Embassy and Consulate General then assured that it will continue to coordinate with Yasa on any assistance that can be extended to the Filipino crew members.
On Thursday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine.
Several weeks of intense diplomacy and the implementation of Western sanctions on Russia attempted to defuse tensions, but failed to deter Putin, who had amassed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders.
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