Key facts
- A Russian missile strike hit the civilian cargo ship Golden Leo in the Black Sea on July 19.
- Five crew members were killed, and five others remain missing.
- The ship, flying the Guinea-Bissau flag, was carrying grain and was struck by three Russian cruise missiles.
- Eight crew members were rescued, and the vessel was reportedly still burning.
- Ukraine condemned the attack as an act of terror and a violation of international humanitarian law.
Five people were killed and five others remain missing after a Russian missile strike hit a civilian cargo ship carrying grain in the Black Sea on July 19, according to Ukraine's Navy and Foreign Ministry. The vessel, Golden Leo, sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag and owned by a Turkish company, was leaving Ukraine's maritime corridor with a cargo of grain when it was struck by three Russian Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles, Ukraine's Navy said. The missiles struck the starboard side of the vessel's superstructure, sparking a fire on board. Ukrainian naval authorities said five people were killed, eight crew members were evacuated, and search-and-rescue efforts were continuing for five others who remained missing. The technical condition of the ship is still being assessed.
"This is another targeted Russian attack on an unarmed civilian vessel flying a foreign flag that posed no military threat. The attack is an act of terror against peaceful navigation and a gross violation of international humanitarian law," Ukraine's Navy said. Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack, saying it came just hours after Russia's large-scale overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv. According to Sybiha, the crew included citizens of Syria and India. He said a Ukrainian maritime pilot and four crew members were killed in the strike. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it had begun notifying the International Maritime Organization, international partners, and the governments of countries whose citizens were killed or injured.