Russian drones have attacked foreign merchant ships in the Black Sea; there are casualties
On the night of 29 May, Russian drones attacked foreign merchant ships travelling through the maritime corridor in the Black Sea.
According to the Ukrainian Navy, one of the vessels attacked was the dry cargo ship ANT, flying the flag of Vanuatu and owned by Turkey. The ship was travelling from a port in the Odesa region to Turkey with cargo on board.
A fire broke out after a drone struck the ship’s superstructure. Thanks to the actions of units from the Maritime Search and Rescue Service and the Ukrainian Navy, the fire was quickly brought under control.
Two injured crew members were evacuated by Ukrainian Navy boats and taken to a medical facility.
Oleksiy Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery and Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, reported that during the evening and night, Russian drones attacked three foreign merchant vessels that were travelling along the maritime corridor.
According to him, the strikes caused fires on board the vessels, which the crews extinguished themselves.
On a vessel flying the flag of Vanuatu, two crew members sustained minor injuries and received the necessary medical attention. The vessel itself was towed away for repairs.
The Ukrainian Navy stated that the Russian Federation continues to pose a threat to international maritime transport by attacking civilian infrastructure and merchant ships.
