Reference: Al Jazeera / Kyiv Post– The Ukrainian Navy rescued 17 Filipino seafarers from the dry cargo ship VENTURO after a Russian strike disabled the vessel off the coast of the Odesa region. One seafarer aboard was lost, whereas three were hurt and taken to hospital.
The Ukrainian Navy said the strike damaged the ship and disabled its propulsion, leaving it stranded at sea. Russian attacks on the surrounding coastline were still continuing as naval boat crews set out to reach the drifting vessel. All 17 survivors were taken ashore.
VENTURO is a Supramax bulk carrier flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda with a deadweight capacity of up to 57,000 tonnes. The ship plys between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean and was on this trip sailing from the Bulgarian port of Varna to Sulina, at the mouth of the Danube in Romania.
The attack was a coordinated strike on port infrastructure along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, regional authorities said. The attack also damaged buildings, storage tanks and warehouses.
As first responders rushed to the scene of the initial assault, Russian troops launched a second attack and destroyed specialised rescue gear. The responders had taken cover before the follow up hit and escaped injury.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said it had hit the vessel VENTURO, describing the attack as a drone strike and saying the ships in the area were transporting military cargo. That claim has not been independently verified, and Ukrainian officials have called the strike an attack on civilian shipping. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed which weapon was used.
Following Ukrainian attacks on tankers of Russia’s shadow fleet in the Azov and Black Seas, Russia increased strikes on Ukrainian maritime infrastructure.
Filipino crews are at a major risk in this corridor. Philippine nationals comprise a large share of the world’s merchant fleet and have been on just about every casualty list from the Black Sea since attacks on commercial vessels resumed.
Two of four Filipino sailors injured when the tanker M/V Blue was struck while transiting the Black Sea were repatriated to Manila last week.
The operational picture has tightened for owners and managers trading into Danube and Ukrainian ports. The ship that was hit and lost its propulsion cannot leave the area with its own means. The subsequent strike on rescue equipment in Odessa indicates that the response phase is now fraught with risks similar to the original event.
The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers has already facilitated repatriation and welfare assistance for seafarers caught up in attacks in the Black Sea.
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