UKRAINE's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a Russian missile struck a cargo ship in the Black Sea that was carrying wheat to Egypt in an attack off the coast of Romania.
If confirmed, the attack would be the first on a commercial vessel in open waters since the 2022 invasion, and a sharp escalation of hostilities in the Black Sea, reports The New York Times.
Mr. Zelensky said on social media that there were no casualties in the attack, which Ukraine's military said was conducted by cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers.
ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of grain and is a particularly important supplier to countries in the Middle East and Africa. The exports are also important drivers of the country's economy, and any interruption of the trade could be devastating.
At the outset of the war, Russia blockaded Ukraine's Black Sea ports, shutting down all commerce. But in July 2022, the United Nations brokered a compromise establishing a shipping corridor, but Russia backed out of the deal a year later.
The ship, the Aya, which sails under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, left the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk around dawn last Thursday, according to Tomas Alexa, a lead analyst for Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime risk management company.
He said in an interview that it was travelling in a convoy when it was hit on its port side.
'The ship suffered damage to the cargo hold,' he said, adding that it had been able to proceed.
The website MarineTraffic, which tracks global shipping using satellite data, said the Aya is currently located off the coast of Romania near the port of Constanta. Mr Alexa said the ship was not at risk of sinking.
An attack on a ship is considered an act of war, but the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, which includes two islands and has a population of less than 50,000, would be unable to respond militarily. The Ukrainian Navy released a statement saying that Russia continues to demonstrate 'complete disregard' for maritime law.
A Kremlin spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SeaNews Turkey
If confirmed, the attack would be the first on a commercial vessel in open waters since the 2022 invasion, and a sharp escalation of hostilities in the Black Sea, reports The New York Times.
Mr. Zelensky said on social media that there were no casualties in the attack, which Ukraine's military said was conducted by cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers.
ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of grain and is a particularly important supplier to countries in the Middle East and Africa. The exports are also important drivers of the country's economy, and any interruption of the trade could be devastating.
At the outset of the war, Russia blockaded Ukraine's Black Sea ports, shutting down all commerce. But in July 2022, the United Nations brokered a compromise establishing a shipping corridor, but Russia backed out of the deal a year later.
The ship, the Aya, which sails under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, left the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk around dawn last Thursday, according to Tomas Alexa, a lead analyst for Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime risk management company.
He said in an interview that it was travelling in a convoy when it was hit on its port side.
'The ship suffered damage to the cargo hold,' he said, adding that it had been able to proceed.
The website MarineTraffic, which tracks global shipping using satellite data, said the Aya is currently located off the coast of Romania near the port of Constanta. Mr Alexa said the ship was not at risk of sinking.
An attack on a ship is considered an act of war, but the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, which includes two islands and has a population of less than 50,000, would be unable to respond militarily. The Ukrainian Navy released a statement saying that Russia continues to demonstrate 'complete disregard' for maritime law.
A Kremlin spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SeaNews Turkey
