Ukraine Destroys Sea Drone as Russian Strikes Odesa Ports and Cargo Ships
Ukrainian officials report that Russia continues to target the port infrastructure in the Greater Odesa region in an effort to disrupt commercial trade. They assert the recent strikes on commercial shipping are deliberate acts by the enemy.
Overnight, another cargo ship was struck while sailing in the corridor that Ukraine has maintained for two and a half years for commercial shipping. According to the reports, it was the third commercial ship struck recently, however the Ukrainian Navy also released images of a successful interdiction of a sea drone attempting to attack one of the ports in the Greater Odesa region.
The brief video released by the Navy shows a sea drone approaching when it is hit and explodes. The Navy said they had been able to detect and track the approaching drone and destroyed it before it was able to reach one of the ports in the Greater Odesa area.
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The ship that was hit overnight was only identified as a bulker registered in St. Kitts and Nevis. It was struck by two drones, which started a fire on the ship. None of the crew was injured, and they were able to extinguish the fire. The ship was heading toward the Odesa ports.
On Wednesday, the Seaports Administration of Ukraine reported that the port infrastructure was attacked overnight. It said a drone had caused a local fire that damaged warehouse facilities. They also said a cargo ship was hit in the area of its hold and reported a fire.
Media reports said it was the latest in a series of recent attacks. Another ship registered in St. Kitts and Nevis had also been recently struck. A Syrian crewmember was killed, and the assistant captain was injured on a Comoros-flagged bulker that was carrying soy. The Seaports Authority reports the port infrastructure remains operational. It, however, continues to operate with safety restrictions.
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Earlier in the week, Oleksiy Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, highlighted that the ports had met 98 percent of their target of over 21 million tons for the first quarter of the year despite the ongoing attacks. He said since the beginning of the year, the ports have been attacked on average every five days, with 193 infrastructure facilities and 25 civilian vessels damaged. Despite that, they handled over 11.6 million tons of grain and 1.2 million tons of steel and metal products. Container handling increased by 43 percent to over 63,000 TEU during the quarter.
Since the start of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor in September 2023, Kuleba says it has processed over 190 million tons of cargo, of which over 110 million tons are grain.