Freighter Hits Explosive Device off Odesa

 

A small freighter encountered an explosive device and suffered a blast in waters off the coast of Odesa, according to Ukrainian media. 

Ukraine's Black Sea shipping corridor is known for the risk of drifting explosive devices and occasional Russian attacks. Sea mines linked to the Ukraine conflict have been found as far away as Georgia, on the other side of the Black Sea. The navies of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have removed countless mines from the water, but despite countermeasures, chance encounters still happen. 

In this case, the Belize-flagged freighter NS Pride was operating off Chornomorsk - just south of Odesa's harbor - when it struck an unidentified floating explosive device. The vessel was in ballast at the time of the casualty, and there were no injuries reported. 

"The ship sustained minor damage and is currently being inspected. It is likely to continue its journey under its own power," Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmitry Pletenchuck told local outlet Dumskaya. "Unfortunately, due to the actions of the Russian invaders, a large number of explosive objects remain at sea. And in a constantly moving maritime environment, it is, of course, impossible to predict such incidents with 100% certainty."

Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reports that it is possible that the object was the remains of a Russian-Iranian Shahed drone that had been shot down by Ukrainian forces. The other strong possibility is a drifting sea mine. 

NS Pride is an Albanian-owned, Belize-flagged coastal freighter of about 3,400 dwt. Built in 1988 and approaching her 40th year in service, the vessel has changed names eight times since 2001 and has a questionable inspection record. Her typical trading pattern alternates between Greece, Sicily and Tunisia; on this voyage, she departed from that pattern and made multiple stops in Turkey before heading further north to Odesa, hugging the coast to stay closer to Bulgaria and Romania, AIS data provided by Pole Star shows.