Politics · Istanbul, Turkey · October 31, 2026

Zelensky meets Erdogan, blames Russia for Black Sea situation

Reported by 2 outlets · first reported Oct 31, 12:45 PM ET

Zelensky met Turkish President Erdogan in Istanbul and accused Russia of worsening the Black Sea situation. Erdogan said attacks on civilian ships are unacceptable from any side.

Why it matters

Attacks on ships threaten grain and trade routes.

Background

Turkey has mediated between Russia and Ukraine in the past.

The story so far

1. Oct 6Drones strike two merchant ships off Bulgaria, one sinks
2. Oct 7Drone strikes hit two cargo ships off Bulgaria; search for crew ends
3. Oct 8Bulgaria ends search for 12 Syrian sailors after drone sinks ship
4. Oct 13Drones hit two ships off Bulgaria, sinking one; Sofia blames Russia
5. Oct 14Drones sink ship off Bulgaria; prime minister blames Russia
6. Oct 20NATO boosts Black Sea presence as Russia strikes more cargo ships
7. Oct 23Drone sinks cargo ship near Romanian waters; Romania blames Russia
8. Oct 31Zelensky meets Erdogan, blames Russia for Black Sea situation

Follow the whole story →

Sources

• Yonhap (Korean) ↗Oct 31, 1:30 PM ET
• BBC Türkçe ↗Oct 31, 12:45 PM ET

This summary was written automatically from the reporting linked above; follow the sources for the full story. How One Turn works.

See it on the globe →All of Oct 31's stories