Russia, missile and Black Sea
Digest more
KYIV, July 19 (Reuters) - Russian forces struck an international cargo vessel in the Black Sea off the coast of Ukraine's southern city of Odesa, killing at least five crew members, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
The death toll of a Russian strike on a cargo ship off the coast of the Ukrainian city of Odesa has risen to 10. The Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship was hit by Russian cruise missiles on Sunday, the Ukrainian Air Force said, causing a fire.
Ukraine and Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Thursday on vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, stepping up hostilities in a zone vital for grain exports that have triggered a rise in global wheat prices.
The foreign-flagged cargo vessel Mera Queen, sailing under the flag of Guinea-Bissau and carrying wheat, was hit late on Wednesday in Ukraine’s Black Sea area, according to Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper. The strike caused a fire and killed one crew member.
Grain exports from both Russia and Ukraine are falling as both countries attack each other's shipping facilities and ports.
Russian forces attacked three foreign-flagged civilian cargo ships in the Black Sea overnight on June 22, with one strike killing an Egyptian crew member and setting the ship on fire, Ukraine's Navy reported. The other crew members, Turkish and Indian ...