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Russia's ambassador to Türkiye, Sergey Vershinin, said Moscow is in ongoing contact with Turkish officials over possible measures to protect Black Sea shipping.
He stressed the need for "reliable verification and monitoring mechanisms" to confirm civilian vessels are not being used for military purposes, in a written interview with the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.
Addressing the pattern of attacks on Black Sea shipping, Vershinin said Ukraine bears responsibility for the escalation.
"It was the Kyiv regime itself that announced in June an operation to inflict irreparable economic damage on Russia, including in the Black Sea. In essence, they launched indiscriminate fire on almost all vessels one after another, claiming the lives of sailors, including Turks. Our position is simple and clear: we did not open 'Pandora's box,' but we will not leave this unanswered," Vershinin said.
He said the resulting tension "cannot help but negatively affect coastal states, maritime shipping, and logistics and transport links."
Vershinin said Russia and Türkiye maintain "a genuinely trust-based dialogue on the most diverse issues. There is no forbidden topic. This dialogue is conducted on the basis of sincere respect for each other's interests and positions."
He said Moscow does not hide its conviction that supplying weapons to the "Kyiv regime" does not contribute to a peaceful settlement, alleging the government in Kyiv uses "terrorist methods" and violates "basic human rights" while praising "the ideals and practices of Nazism."
He noted that Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek on Sept. 1, "confirmed that the two countries have a broad shared agenda and many important goals and tasks, including establishing a reliable and lasting peace in the region and beyond."
Vershinin left a question about the S-400 missile defense system unanswered in the interview, according to the Turkish newspaper.
Vershinin said the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant represents more than an energy facility, describing it as a pathway to Türkiye establishing its own nuclear energy sector.
"Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is not just a major energy facility, but effectively a transition to a new technological level for Türkiye, that is, the establishment of the country's own nuclear energy. We are pleased that Russia and Rosatom can contribute to this fundamental process," he said.
He said the "primary task today is to ensure the first power unit is commissioned by the end of this year," noting that Türkiye also plans to build two additional nuclear plants, in Sinop and Thrace.
The Russian envoy noted that the two countries continue bilateral cooperation in traditional energy sources as well, maintaining uninterrupted deliveries and transit of natural gas, oil and coal.
"Türkiye has been and remains our key and reliable partner," he said.
Vershinin's remarks come amid a months-long escalation of attacks on Black Sea shipping that has repeatedly struck Turkish-flagged and Turkish-owned vessels.
In December, a Turkish-owned ferry, the Cenk T, was hit by what its owner identified as an Iskander missile while docked at Ukraine's Odesa port, prompting Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania to establish an emergency coordination mechanism for Black Sea shipping.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned at the time that the attacks were "transforming the waterway into a closed zone for trade and human transportation."
In May, the Vanuatu-flagged, Turkish-owned cargo ship ANT was struck by a drone while sailing from Odesa, injuring two Turkish crew members.
In July, a Turkish crew member was killed, and others wounded when the Turkish-flagged coal carrier Reyhan Sari was struck by a possibly Ukrainian drone off Russia's Novorossiysk port.
In early August, the Turkish-owned ro-ro vessel Nadezhda was struck by a drone roughly 20 nautical miles off Novorossiysk, injuring several crew members, three of them Turkish nationals, and days later the Turkish-flagged bulk carrier Gulluk was reportedly struck by a drone in the same area, though no crew injuries were reported.
Following that string of incidents, the top Turkish diplomat called for "the setting up of a mechanism allowing a moratorium to be declared" on Black Sea attacks, telling Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), "The conflict has spread across the whole Black Sea. To begin with, they targeted the ports and the military ships. Now, they are attacking all commercial shipping without distinction."
He said Türkiye had conveyed Ukraine's request for such a moratorium to Russian counterparts and had presented several measures to President Erdogan.
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