Russia attacked foreign vessel carrying wheat from Ukraine; Ukrainian sailor killed
Kyiv • UNN
As a result of the attack on the civilian vessel MERA QUEEN, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau, a Ukrainian sailor was killed and three others were injured. The vessel, loaded with Ukrainian wheat, sustained hull damage and caught fire.
Russia attacked a foreign merchant cargo ship carrying Ukrainian wheat in the Black Sea, killing one Ukrainian sailor and injuring three others, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority and Oleg Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, reported on Thursday, according to UNN.
Russia continues its terror campaign against civilian shipping: a Ukrainian sailor was killed as a result of the attack on the vessel
According to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, "for more than a month, Russia has been carrying out strikes on Ukraine's port infrastructure and civilian merchant vessels located in the waters of Ukrainian ports and traveling along the Ukrainian maritime corridor almost every day."
"On the evening of August 5, during another Russian attack, the civilian vessel MERA QUEEN, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau, was hit. As a result of the attack, a crew member—a Ukrainian citizen—was killed. The remaining sailors were brought ashore," the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority stated.
As of 06:00 on August 6, the vessel was moored at the berth. Specialists were carrying out priority work to contain the consequences of the impact and stabilize its technical condition.
"Russia's systematic attacks on civilian vessels and Ukraine's port infrastructure are yet another indication of a deliberate campaign against freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. The international community must join forces to ensure the safety of maritime transport and hold the aggressor state accountable," the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority emphasized.
The attack by the Russian Federation was confirmed by Oleg Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional State Administration.
"The enemy continues to relentlessly attack civilian vessels in the Black Sea. Unfortunately, one person was killed and three others were injured. This time, a merchant cargo ship flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau and loaded with Ukrainian wheat was damaged. As a result of the attack, the hull was damaged and a fire broke out on board. The crew was evacuated ashore. The injured are receiving all necessary assistance. These strikes once again demonstrate the systematic nature and cynicism of Russia's terror, as well as the threat created by the aggressor both to the lives of civilians and to global food security as a whole," Kiper wrote on social media.