The attack, carried out by a Russian tactical aircraft, targeted the ship flying the flag of Liberia. The 43-year-old pilot lost his life, while three Filipino crew members and a port worker sustained injuries.
According to a CNN report, this incident adds to a series of Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports following their withdrawal from a UN-brokered grain passage agreement, prompting Ukraine to establish its own humanitarian corridor.
Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, noted that the damaged ship was intended to transport iron ore to China, highlighting the ongoing impact of Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure since the lapse of the grain deal.
“This is the 21st attack on Black Sea ports in the Odesa region since Russia left the grain deal in July. During this time, the terrorist country damaged more than 160 infrastructure facilities and 122 transport vehicles,” Kubrakov wrote on a social media platform just hours after the attack.