The ALBY LIBERTY, a Panama-flagged vessel, was damaged in a Russian drone attack at Nika-Tera Port, with no reported casualties.
Russian Drone Attack on ALBY LIBERTY at Nika-Tera
The Panama-flagged vessel ALBY LIBERTY, located at the Nika-Tera Port in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, was damaged in an attack carried out by Russian Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian authorities announced that two civilian vessels in the port were damaged, and preliminary assessments indicated that there were no casualties or injuries.
Another attack has been added to Russia's assaults on Ukrainian ports. According to initial information received by Denizhaber, the bulk carrier named ALBY LIBERTY, which has been stranded at the Nika-Tera Port since 2022, was targeted in a drone attack.
The Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration announced that two separate attacks were carried out on the port infrastructure in the Mykolaiv region using Shahed-type drones on August 2. The statement reported that two civilian vessels were damaged, and there were no fatalities or injuries according to initial assessments.
The names of the damaged vessels were not disclosed in the statement from Ukrainian authorities. However, according to information reaching Denizhaber from the region, one of the damaged vessels is the ALBY LIBERTY, which is docked at the Nika-Tera Port. Detailed information regarding which part of the vessel was hit, whether there was hull or machinery damage, and the status of the cargo has not yet been provided.
Stranded Since 2022
The ALBY LIBERTY, with IMO number 9193707, was built in Japan in 2000. The Panama-flagged bulk carrier is 186 meters long, 30.4 meters wide, and has a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 45,251.
After departing from İskenderun, the vessel arrived at Nika-Tera Port on February 20, 2022. It has been unable to leave the port since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The last available AIS position recorded from the vessel was on March 1, 2022, showing it immobilized within Nika-Tera Port.
According to records from the Ukrainian State Property Fund, the vessel's holds contain 36,685.628 tons of pink potassium chloride. This cargo is among the assets seized in favor of the state by the Ukrainian High Anti-Corruption Court's decision dated April 9, 2025.
Attacks on Civilian Vessels Increasing
In recent weeks, the ports of Mykolaiv have been repeatedly targeted by drone and missile attacks. On July 17, three foreign-flagged civilian vessels were damaged in a Shahed-238 attack on the port, resulting in the deaths of two Ukrainian citizens aboard one of the vessels. Another attack on July 24 also reported damage to two more civilian vessels.
With the latest attack, the safety of commercial vessels at Nika-Tera and the evacuation of vessels that have been stranded in the port for years have come back into focus.
An official investigation is ongoing regarding the extent of the damage to ALBY LIBERTY, whether there was a fire or flooding on the vessel, and the identity of the second damaged vessel in the port.
Denizhaber is following the developments closely.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
