Russia struck a civilian cargo ship in Odesa Oblast for the second consecutive day on July 14, killing two people, Governor Oleh Kiper said.
“This evening, the enemy launched another attack on port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast. During the attack, a hostile drone struck a civilian vessel flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, damaging the ship’s superstructure. A fire broke out on board,” Kiper reported.
Two people were killed in the attack on the ship, he said. The governor did not disclose details about the identities of the victims.
The previous day, Russia hit a civilian cargo vessel flying the Togolese flag while it was unloading mineral fertilizers at the port of Odesa. The July 13 attack killed five people, including three foreign crew members, and injured 10 others.
Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s Black Sea port infrastructure and commercial shipping since the start of the full-scale invasion, despite the reopening of a maritime export corridor that has allowed Ukraine to resume grain exports.
Ukrainian officials have warned that these attacks threaten global food security.
Russia’s attacks on cargo vessels follow a sustained Ukrainian drone campaign against Moscow’s “shadow fleet.” As of July 14, Unmanned Systems Forces CommanderRobert “Madyar” Brovdi said Ukrainian drones had attacked 116 vessels in Russia’s key maritime corridors.
The aim of the campaign is to halt Russia’s commercial traffic, particularly oil flows, and cut off critical military supply routes to Crimea.
Read also: As pressure on Crimea heats up, Sea of Azov enters Ukraine’s crosshairs
We’ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
