Overview
- After more than two days waiting off Sochi, the Seabridge ferry was refused permission to berth and is returning to Trabzon without disembarking passengers.
- Twenty people were on board, including 18 Russian citizens and two Turkish citizens, with crew providing food and water and provisions calculated for about 10 days.
- Krasnodar Krai’s administration maintains the launch is premature due to unresolved safety concerns, pointing to an October test voyage conducted without regional consent.
- The operator says all documentation is in order, the Sochi–Trabzon line is registered with the Transport Ministry through 2027, and port and control services had completed inspections.
- The impasse reflects a split between federal registration and regional security approvals, as the company signals it intends to continue operating the route.