Russia attacked a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea: 6 sailors were killed
20 July 05:12
Russian forces launched three cruise missiles at the dry cargo ship Golden Leo, which was flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau and was “leaving the combat zone” with a cargo of grain at the time of the attack. This was reported on Sunday, July 19, by the Ukrainian Navy. According to the Ukrainian Navy, the ship is owned by a Turkish company, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
“The strike hit the area of the starboard side of the superstructure, and a fire broke out on the ship. Five people were killed as a result of the strike. The fate of five other crew members is unknown; the search is ongoing. The technical condition of the vessel is being assessed,” the statement said.
Later, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk reported six fatalities, with four others still missing.
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Among the dead is a Ukrainian pilot
Eight crew members were evacuated to a hospital in Odesa. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ship’s crew included, among others, citizens of Syria and India. A Ukrainian pilot is among the dead.
“This is yet another deliberate attack by Russia on an unarmed civilian vessel flying a foreign flag, which posed no military threat,” the Ukrainian Navy stated. They described the incident as a “terrorist act” against peaceful navigation and a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
Reaction from the Authorities
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky instructed the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the states whose citizens were affected by the Russian strike, as well as Kyiv’s international partners.
“Together with the military command, we are preparing measures that will strengthen the security of shipping and help protect civilian vessels and sailors from criminal Russian attacks,” he wrote on Telegram.
For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga noted that the day before, the Russian military had attacked another foreign merchant vessel in the Black Sea flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. One crew member was killed in the attack, and three others were injured.
“During President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to London, I discussed this issue with the leadership of the International Maritime Organization and called for an international monitoring mission to be sent to Ukrainian ports. We expect this mission to begin its work, as planned, in the fall and to help document every act of Russian maritime terror,” Sibiga noted on social media platform X.
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