The Ukrainian government reported that Russian drones attacked a Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea near the city of Odesa. Although no injuries were reported, the incident occurred just one day before President Vladimir Putin's official visit to China to meet with President Xi Jinping.
The Ukrainian Navy and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine disclosed that Russian military drones struck a Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea late Sunday night. This event took place only one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to arrive in Beijing for a two-day visit to meet and hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ukrainian authorities stated that Russia launched a large-scale air assault that night, deploying 524 attack drones and 22 missiles, including guided and cruise missiles, targeting the port city of Odesa, a key hub for Ukraine's agricultural exports.
Dmytro Pelteshchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, revealed that one of the kamikaze drones from the "Shahed" series struck the cargo ship named "KSL DEYANG," which sails under the Marshall Islands flag but is owned by a Chinese company. The Ukrainian Navy released photographic evidence showing burn marks and black soot on the upper deck of the ship from the attack.
Reports indicated that at the time of the attack, the ship was empty of cargo and en route to the Pivdennyi port in the Odesa region to load concentrated iron ore. The explosion caused a fire onboard, but fortunately, the entire Chinese crew managed to control the blaze and handle the damage themselves. The vessel did not sustain severe damage, and none of the crew were injured. The ship was able to continue on to its destination port.
President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media about the incident: "Drones attacked the city of Odesa, and one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) struck a ship belonging to China. The Russians could not possibly have been unaware of the nationality of the ship navigating those waters."
This incident is seen as an embarrassing error for the Russian government since China is one of Russia's most important allies economically and diplomatically, especially since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Although China has tried to maintain a neutral stance and called for peace negotiations, it has never condemned Russia's actions.
Moreover, the crisis in the Black Sea has intensified since Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export agreement mediated by the United Nations and Turkey in 2023. This has led to continuous Russian attacks on civilian cargo ships entering and leaving Ukrainian waters.
Reuters further reported that the drone attack on the Chinese cargo ship occurred simultaneously with a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense that Russia had faced one of the most intense Ukrainian air assault campaigns in a year during the past week. Russia's air defense systems intercepted and destroyed up to 3,124 Ukrainian drones.
The most critical days were May 13 and May 17, when Russian forces intercepted 572 and 1,054 Ukrainian drones, respectively. Local Russian authorities also reported at least four deaths and dozens of injuries caused by Ukrainian drone debris in the past day. President Zelensky clarified on the platform X that Ukraine's retaliatory attacks into Russian territory "are entirely justified" amid the ongoing war.
Source: AFP /Independent