Russian Missile Attack Damages MSC Boxship at Port of Odesa

 

On Saturday, a Russian ballistic missile strike damaged a foreign-flag boxship at the port of Odesa, Ukraine, according to the regional government. 

The feeder MSC Levante F was in port and was damaged by the blast, according to Governor Oleh Kiper. Two port employees sustained injuries in the attack. 

Odesa only recently resumed container shipping operations after years of shutdown caused by Russian targeting of civilian shipping. Russia has repeatedly attacked merchant vessels, particularly in the early months of its invasion in 2022, and it has used missile and drone strikes to damage port infrastructure in the Odesa region and along the Ukrainian segment of the Danube. 

"We witnessed a deliberate missile attack by the Russian Federation on a ship belonging to one of the leading European shipping companies. The Russian leadership is trying to intimidate European businessmen into stopping flights to Ukraine," said Alexei Sukhoi, a columnist for regional outlet Dumskaya. 

The MSC Levante F (ex name Maya 2) is a 2006-built boxship with a capacity of 1,100 TEU. She was acquired in October 2021,  MSC's ambitious drive to build market share.

Top image: Russian Iskander theater ballistic missile launcher (Boevaya Mashina / CC BY SA 4.0)