Ten killed as Russian attacks on merchant ships in Black Sea intensify
A Russian missile strike on a cargo ship near Odesa has killed 10 people, marking the deadliest attack on a merchant vessel in the region. The incident is part of an intensifying Russian campaign to disrupt Ukraine's maritime export corridor.
Why it matters
The escalation threatens global food security and Ukraine's economic stability by targeting the primary route for agricultural exports.
Image source, Andrii Sybiha Image caption, Attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea have increased as Russia seeks to disrupt the last maritime export corridor outside of Ukraine
The death toll of a Russian strike on a cargo ship off the coast of the Ukrainian city of Odesa has risen to 10.
The Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship was hit by Russian cruise missiles on Sunday, the Ukrainian Air Force said, causing a fire.
A search and rescue operation was launched and lasted all night. By Monday morning, Ukraine's seaports authority said nine crew members had been killed, as well as one of its pilots.
In recent weeks, the Odesa region has come under sustained attack.
Twenty-eight people died in Russian strikes on the region in July alone, governor Oleh Kiper told Ukrainian TV on Monday.
Russian attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea have also increased.
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