Nine foreign crew members and a Ukrainian maritime pilot were killed after three cruise missiles struck the Golden Leo, intensifying concerns over Black Sea shipping and global grain supplies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
A Russian missile attack on a corn-carrying cargo ship near Ukraine’s port of Odesa killed 10 people Sunday in the deadliest incident during a recent escalation of fighting across the Black Sea, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine’s navy said three cruise missiles struck the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel staffed by Indian and Syrian crew members. The attack ignited a fire aboard the ship as it operated off Ukraine’s southern coast.
A search-and-rescue operation continued throughout the night, according to Ukraine’s seaports authority.
Nine crew members and a Ukrainian maritime pilot were killed. Eight of the ship’s 17 crew members were rescued.
Smoke was visible rising from the vessel off the Odesa coastline Sunday. The ship was later identified as the Golden Leo.
The vessel is owned by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd. Its manager, Friends Shipping Co SA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russian officials had not publicly addressed the attack as of Monday.
The strike came as Moscow and Kyiv intensified military operations targeting shipping, ports and energy infrastructure in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Russia’s Defense Ministry separately said its forces struck fuel storage facilities at the port of Odesa overnight, according to Interfax.
Russian attacks have killed 28 people in the Odesa region this month, the regional governor said Monday.
The Black Sea became a major theater of the war after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Shipping activity later resumed under an arrangement intended to allow grain exports and reduce pressure on global food prices.
That relative stability has deteriorated as both countries increasingly target maritime assets and infrastructure connected to their opponents’ revenue.
Ukrainian forces have attacked Russian energy facilities and oil tankers. Russia has intensified strikes against Ukraine’s deepwater ports, commercial vessels and grain-export infrastructure.
The renewed violence threatens a shipping corridor that remains important to international food markets.
Ukraine has represented approximately 6% of global wheat exports and 11% of global corn exports in recent seasons. Russian missile and drone attacks have destroyed or disabled roughly one-third of Ukraine’s grain-export capacity at its Black Sea ports, according to traders and analysts.
Ukraine’s attacks have also affected Russian maritime commerce. Russia, the world’s largest grain exporter, has restricted shipping through the Sea of Azov, which normally handles about one-quarter of its grain exports, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The destruction and disruption affecting both countries’ export routes have renewed concerns about reduced grain supplies, rising transportation costs and further volatility in global food prices.
The Golden Leo attack demonstrated the growing risks facing civilian crews as commercial ships continue operating near active combat zones.
Ukrainian officials described the vessel as carrying corn when it was struck. Authorities did not immediately disclose the amount of cargo aboard, its intended destination or the full extent of damage to the ship.
The deaths of the foreign crew members and Ukrainian pilot add to the rising civilian toll around Odesa as Russia expands attacks against the region’s ports and maritime infrastructure.
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