Russian drone strikes Marshall Islands-flagged ship in Black Sea, killing 1
A Russian drone struck a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial vessel in the Black Sea on Oct. 6, killing one person and injuring seven others, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said.
The vessel was carrying rapeseed oil when it was hit, sparking a fire in its superstructure, according to Kiper. He did not immediately provide details on the nationality of the casualties or the ship’s location and condition.
The attack comes just three days after a Russian strike hit a Liberian-flagged civilian cargo vessel at a port in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast on Oct. 3, killing a sailor and injuring three other crew members.
Russia has intensified attacks on civilian shipping and port infrastructure serving Ukraine’s Black Sea maritime corridor in recent months.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Mykola Kalashnyk said in September that 274 civilian vessels and 1,173 port infrastructure facilities had been damaged or partially destroyed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Cargo handling at Ukraine’s Greater Odesa ports has fallen more than 15-fold since July 22 amid intensified Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian government.
Turkey has meanwhile stepped up talks with Ukraine and Russia on maritime security in the Black Sea, seeking to prevent further disruption to food exports and rising global prices.