Russia has carried out fresh drone strikes on two civilian vessels transporting food products in the Black Sea, injuring a seafarer and setting one ship ablaze, Ukrainian authorities said on Monday.
Ukraine’s regional development minister Oleksiy Kuleba said a Panamanian-flagged tanker, the Ata Voyager, was struck while waiting to enter port to load vegetable oil near Chornomorsk. “Unfortunately, one crewmember was wounded,” Kuleba wrote on Telegram, adding that the drone attack sparked a fire on board. The injured seafarer was later transferred ashore for medical treatment.
In a separate incident the same day, the Blue Bead, a San Marino-flagged vessel, was attacked while departing port with a shipment of corn. No injuries were reported on that vessel.
Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper confirmed that both incidents occurred close to the port of Chornomorsk along Ukraine’s southern coastline.
The latest attacks follow a deadly incident on Friday, when Russian drones hit two foreign-flagged civilian cargo ships in the Odesa region, killing a Syrian crewmember and injuring others, underscoring the persistent risks facing commercial shipping in the Black Sea.