A Russian drone strike hit a civilian vessel carrying corn in neutral waters, killing the ship’s captain and injuring at least one crew member, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
According to Zelenskyy, the vessel was Turkish-owned and had Azerbaijani and Indian citizens among its crew. Eleven crew members were rescued following the attack, while authorities were still determining the fate of one other person.
Zelenskyy condemned the strike, describing it as an attack on a civilian vessel and accusing Russia of continuing to target maritime infrastructure instead of supporting safe navigation in the Black Sea.
He said Ukraine had repeatedly proposed concrete measures to reduce tensions and establish security in the Black Sea, while other countries had also put forward proposals aimed at improving maritime safety.
“Russia consistently chooses terror and sinking civilian vessels instead of normal maritime navigation,” Zelenskyy said, calling for greater international pressure to protect global food security.
The incident comes amid continued Russian and Ukrainian military activity around the Black Sea, a crucial route for the export of agricultural commodities. Zelenskyy said attacks on civilian shipping threaten not only regional security but also wider global food supplies.
He also called on countries concerned about global food security to support efforts to restore safe maritime navigation in the Black Sea.
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