OMM Redaksiyası
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned what he called a “horrific” Russian attack on a civilian vessel carrying corn in the Black Sea, according to the BBC.
Zelensky said two drones struck the ship on Monday in neutral waters. He said the captain was killed and another sailor was unaccounted for, while 11 crew members from Azerbaijan and India were rescued.
Romania’s Interior Ministry said a fire broke out aboard the commercial vessel Royad Mammadov in the country’s exclusive economic zone. The ministry said the ship sank about 30 nautical miles south of the port of Sfantu Gheorghe and that two people had died.
Romania said its Coast Guard was alerted to the fire at around 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT). The ministry did not identify the two people who died.
Russia has not commented on the reported attack. Its Defence Ministry said earlier that it had struck two cargo vessels.
Zelensky said Ukraine and other countries had proposed steps to reduce tensions and improve security in the Black Sea, accusing Russia of targeting civilian shipping instead of allowing normal maritime navigation. He called for pressure to restore global food security.
On Sunday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said it would intensify strikes across Ukraine in response to Zelensky’s comments about increasing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. Kyiv says it targets Russian oil infrastructure because it helps finance the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
