A Russian missile hit a civilian ship in a Black Sea port, killing at least one person and injuring four others, according to Ukraine’s officials.
A Ukrainian pilot on board was killed in the attack on the vessel in Odesa’s Pivdennyi port, said Yoruk Isik, head of the Bosphorus Observer consultancy. “A few” other crew members were either dead or injured, Mr Isik told Reuters.
Of those injured, three were crew members from the Philippines. The other injured individual was identified as a port employee.
The ship was loading iron ore in the port when it was hit, said Mr Isik. He identified the vessel as a Kmax Ruler 92,000 dwt – a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier.
Ukrainian infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the vessel was supposed to transport iron ore to China.
“The missile hit the superstructure of a civilian vessel under the flag of Liberia, at the moment of its entry into the port,” Ukraine’s southern military command said on Telegram.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian port infrastructure after pulling out of a UN-brokered deal promising safe transit of Ukrainian grain shipments via the Black Sea.
Russia has carried out at least 21 such attacks on port infrastructure after pulling out from the deal in July this year.
“During this time, the terrorist country damaged more than 160 infrastructure facilities and 122 vehicles,” said the minister Mr Kubrakov.
Russia’s exit from the deal brokered by the UN and Turkey has brought an end to the safe export of Ukrainian grain. Moscow exited the deal because it said its demands for economic sanctions to be lifted from its grain and fertiliser exports have not been met.
Ukraine is now operating a temporary humanitarian corridor to export grain as it looks to break Russia’s de facto blockade without compromising on the sanctions.
Last month, war-time president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian attacks have denied Russia’s naval fleet safe bases and secure maritime corridors in the western part of the Black Sea.
Kyiv’s troops have looked to squeeze the Kremlin’s occupying forces out of the Crimean Peninsula that was illegally annexed in 2014.
