Ukrainian Ambassador to Ankara: Erdogan prevented Russia from capturing Odesa and Mykolaiv

Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said Turkey's closure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles to warships at the start of the Ukraine war prevented Moscow from seizing Odessa, Mykolaiv and other territories, wrote "Ukrinform“.

"One of the key stages in the defense of Ukraine was the closing of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits by Turkey. We sunk the cruiser "Moskva", and two more Russian cruisers were waiting for us in the Mediterranean Sea. The fact that Ankara closed the straits, in my opinion, prevented Russia from using its advantage at sea to seize Odessa, Nikolaev and other territories that, according to Moscow's plans, should have been occupied as a result of operations from the sea,”, says Bodnar.< br />
The diplomat adds that Turkey has become a serious transport center for Ukraine:

"Currently, a visa-free regime for transport has been introduced. Without licenses and permits, our companies transport cargo, which is very necessary for Ukraine, from Turkish and other ports through the territory of the Republic of Turkey.