Key facts
- The cargo vessel Golden Leo sank off the coast of Odesa on Sunday.
- The ship was struck by Russian forces on July 19.
- Nine crew members were killed and eight were evacuated.
- The vessel was carrying a cargo of corn and was en route to Romania.
- Ukraine's ports authority stated the action violated international maritime law.
An international cargo vessel, the Golden Leo, sank off the coast of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa on Sunday, a week after Ukrainian officials reported it had been struck by Russian forces. Ukraine's ports authority stated that the ship, sailing under a Guinea-Bissau flag, suffered considerable damage when it was shelled by Russian forces on July 19 while passing through a corridor overseen by Ukraine towards Romania. The authority reported that nine crew members were killed in the attack, while eight were evacuated to safety. A Reuters witness had observed smoke billowing from a large vessel off the coast at the time of the incident. Moscow has not publicly commented on the strike. Russia has intensified attacks on deepwater ports in southern Ukraine in recent weeks. The ports authority asserted that Russia's action against the ship violated international maritime law and endangered crew lives.