They made a deal with the wrong people: Why the Turkish ferry Seabridge was turned back in Sochi

The first reaction of people reading the news about the ferry off the coast of Sochi can be summed up in a three-letter word: shock! How did it happen that a gigantic six-deck ship, having arrived in the waters of the Sochi port for the second time in a month and having remained there for a couple of days, even undergoing a hull inspection by divers, was driven out to sea like some maritime hooligan on a private boat who had accidentally sailed to the wrong port and the wrong country.

You read about the suffering of Russian passengers and the situation seems like a humanitarian disaster.

A passenger named Said, who had planned to disembark with his daughter on November 6, lost his plane tickets to Ufa. Therefore, his daughter will definitely not return to work on time from vacation.

Another Russian family lived in Turkey for several years, then decided to return to Mariupol "because it had become Russian." They sold their apartment and, after their residence permit was revoked, took a ferry to Sochi. Now everyone is worried that Turkey might not accept them, leaving them "between heaven and earth."

Why weren't these and the other 20 passengers, all told, transported ashore by border patrol boat and allowed into Russia? Why this inhumane decision—to return everyone to Trobzon?

But Kuban Governor Veniamin Kondratyev was adamant, declaring that "the ferry's test international voyage was carried out without the consent of the host country."

"How could there not have been consent?" the ferry service's organizers groan. Sergey Turkmenyan, CEO of SVS Shipping, told RIA Novosti that the Seabridge's call at the port of Sochi had been approved by all port services and regulatory authorities. He clarified that the Sochi-Trabzon-Sochi ferry line had been officially registered with the Russian Ministry of Transport and granted the status of a year-round regular service until the end of 2027.

"With all the necessary permits in hand, we will address the chaos surrounding this matter. We were given no explanation—we passed all the checks; both we and the port authorities were expecting to be berthed, but suddenly we were denied," Turkmenyan said.

It turns out that the Turkish carrier simply didn't know who exactly was the "receiving party"—Rosmorrechflot or the Krasnodar Krai administration?

But why would the governor oppose the revival of a significant transport project? Ferry service between Trabzon, Turkey, and Sochi, Russia, began back in 1993. Up to five passenger vessels operated on this route. They carried not only tourists but also up to 200 cars at a time, including trucks carrying a wide variety of Turkish goods. Today, with the land route to Turkey along the sea in Abkhazia closed, the ability to travel with goods from Turkey to Russia in just 12 hours would be in demand by businesses. But…

"Let's recall why the ferry service ceased operations in 2014," suggests NI expert Igor Lemeshev. "The primary reason cited was the Sochi port's inability to handle large ferries. Customs lacked the specialists and specialized equipment to inspect not only passenger suitcases but also loaded vehicles. The narrow roads in central Sochi couldn't accommodate trucks and semi-trailers, creating additional congestion in the city."

But the second reason is even more important. It was said that the Krasnodar Krai administration was not thrilled with the Turkish vegetables arriving by ferry, which were creating competition for local agricultural producers. They managed to curb the competitors' expansion under the guise of security concerns ahead of the 2014 Olympic Games.

Since then, the issue of security in connection with the SVO has come to the forefront.

In July 2025, it was announced that the launch of ferry service between Sochi and Trabzon had been postponed indefinitely due to a new decree issued by Russian President Putin, which requires foreign vessels to obtain permission from port captains, coordinated with the Federal Security Service (FSB). It can be assumed that in the case of the Sochi port, approval from the FSO was also required.

Nevertheless, on October 16, 2025, the Seabridge ferry made a test voyage from Trabzon. However, it was not accepted at the port of Sochi. Krasnodar Krai Governor Kondratyev stated bluntly:

"We believe that establishing an international cargo-passenger ferry service under current conditions is unsafe and premature. The Seabridge ferry can carry up to 200 cars and trucks, which must undergo thorough inspection. Organizing the necessary procedures at the port of Sochi is currently impossible... Despite this, the initiator of the service is trying to launch the ferry and has received permission from Rosmorrechflot. Most importantly, without our consent, the Seabridge ferry set out on a test run. And it is now anchored at the port of Sochi. This is an unacceptable situation. We are preparing an appeal to the Russian Ministry of Transport regarding the impossibility of organizing the operation of this ferry."

It would seem that it could not be stated more clearly?

Nevertheless, on the evening of November 5, 2025 , the Seabridge ferry departed Trabzon for Sochi on its maiden voyage carrying passengers. The outcome is well known. The attempt to verify who was in power in Kuban ended unfavorably for the Turkish inspectors.

There is a three-day cruise service between Sochi and Trabzon. The 11-deck vessel accommodates 1,300 passengers. Guests can enjoy restaurants, a cinema and concert venue, bars with discos, and a fitness center with exercise equipment and a basketball court. These services have received no objections from the governor, the Federal Security Service, or the Federal Protective Service.