Key facts
- The cargo ship Golden Leo sank off Odesa after being struck by Russian forces on July 19.
- Nine crew members were killed and eight were evacuated.
- Russian missile and drone attacks in Mykolaiv on Monday and Sunday killed one person and damaged three civilian vessels.
- The damaged vessels in Mykolaiv had been blockaded since 2022.
- Russia's Defence Ministry claimed to have struck two vessels carrying military cargoes in Mykolaiv.
The civilian cargo ship Golden Leo sank in the Black Sea near Odesa on July 26, days after being struck by Russian missiles on July 19. Ukraine's Sea Ports Authority reported that the vessel sustained significant damage, leading to its loss of seaworthiness and subsequent sinking. Nine crew members were killed in the attack, while eight were evacuated. The ship was leaving Ukraine's maritime corridor with a cargo of grain when it was hit.
Separately, Russian drone attacks on port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region on Monday and Sunday killed one person and damaged three civilian vessels. The vessels had been blockaded in ports since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and were not carrying out commercial voyages. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed it had struck two vessels carrying military cargoes in the port city of Mykolaiv.