Russian drone strike kills captain on Turkish cargo ship in Black Sea
At least one person was killed and 11 others were rescued after a Russian drone strike set a Turkish-owned civilian cargo vessel on fire in the Black Sea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday. The ship was carrying corn and had Indian and Azerbaijani citizens on board.
Zelenskyy said the vessel was hit in neutral waters. He said the ship's captain was killed, one crew member was injured, and the fate of another person was still being established.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said, "A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Turkiye." He added, "Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board. As of now, unfortunately, we know that the ship's captain was killed. My condolences. The fate of one other person is still being established." He also said 11 crew members were rescued and one of them was injured.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and ensure security in the Black Sea. "Pressure is needed to restore global food security. And everyone who is genuinely interested in this must help," he posted.
The Black Sea remains a vital global trade route and has faced major disruption because of rising attacks on commercial shipping and port infrastructure during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On Sunday, a 52-year-old employee of a pharmaceutical warehouse belonging to Indian owners was killed in a Russian strike in Ukraine's Sumy.
Also on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has moved beyond advocacy and increased its efforts in recent months to help resolve the Ukraine conflict by speaking to both Kyiv and Moscow. His remarks came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "good ideas" to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict. The latest strike in the Black Sea underlined the continued risks to civilian shipping as diplomatic efforts to address the conflict continue.
