A Russian drone strike killed a sailor and set a civilian cargo ship ablaze in the Black Sea overnight on 22 June, as the vessel sailed toward a Ukrainian port, Ukrainian officials said. Russian drones damaged two more merchant ships in the same attack. The Ukrainian Navy rescued the surviving crew.
A burning ship and a dead crewman
A drone set fire to a Panama-flagged vessel, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksii Kuleba said. A fire broke out, and the ship lost seaworthiness. Other sources identified the vessel as the Turkish-owned bulk carrier Victress.
The dead crewman was a 58-year-old cook, an Egyptian citizen. Eight other sailors, citizens of Türkiye and India, escaped onto a life raft. The crew of nine had been sailing to a Black Sea port in Odesa Oblast. The Ukrainian Navy rescued them, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Russian drones kill one sailor and wound five in attack on two civilian ships in the Black Sea
Three vessels, three flags
Russian drones struck three civilian merchant ships bound for ports in Odesa Oblast, the region’s head, Oleh Kiper, reported. Only the Victress caught fire and lost seaworthiness. The ships under Palau and Belize flags took damage, but their crews were unharmed. Both continued their voyage. The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said the targeting of civilian shipping breaks international law.
Russian strike damages Chinese Zeekr dealership in Kyiv, while Chinese components have been documented in Russian weapons
A strike timed after a Turkish visit
The attack came right after a high-level Turkish visit to Russia, Sybiha said. He called Russia the main threat to Black Sea security. Kyiv is informing every state and the International Maritime Organization, he added, and wants a strong international response. Kuleba called the strike another Russian war crime and a threat to global food and economic security.
A pattern in the Black Sea
Russia has hit civilian shipping in the corridor repeatedly. On 19 June, drones killed one sailor and wounded five on two ships. On 29 May, they struck three foreign-flagged vessels in the same corridor. On 18 May, a drone hit a ship tied to China, Moscow’s closest war ally.
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