Key facts
- A Russian strike on a Togolese-flagged civilian cargo vessel in Odesa killed three crew members and injured five.
- The vessel was carrying mineral fertilizers and was docked in the port.
- Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba condemned the attack, highlighting threats to international navigation and global food security.
- The strike occurred amid a wider wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine, injuring at least 57 people.
A Russian strike hit a civilian cargo vessel flying the Togolese flag while it was unloading mineral fertilizers at the port of Odesa on July 13, killing three crew members and injuring five others, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for restoration and minister for communities and territories development, Oleksii Kuleba said. The strike hit the ship's superstructure, sparking a fire, and the wounded sailors were hospitalized. Kuleba condemned the attack as 'another Russian strike against civilian shipping and Ukraine's port infrastructure,' warning that such actions threaten international navigation, global trade, and food security. This incident occurred amid a broader wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine that injured at least 57 people over the past day, including damage to civilian infrastructure in Odesa Oblast. Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine's Black Sea port infrastructure and commercial shipping since its full-scale invasion began, despite the existence of a maritime export corridor for grain.