Russia attacked civilian ships on their way to Ukrainian ports: a fire broke out on one of the ships, one person died

On the night of June 22, Russian drones attacked two civilian merchant ships heading to Ukrainian ports. The strike on the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier VICTRESS killed a crew member and evacuated eight more sailors.

This was reported by the press service of the Naval Forces.

A large-scale fire broke out after a Russian drone hit the dry cargo ship VICTRESS. The ship is owned by a Turkish shipowner and flies the flag of Panama.

There were 9 crew members on board – citizens of Egypt, Turkey and India. Due to the difficult situation and the threat of further spread of the fire, the crews of the Navy boats conducted a rescue operation to evacuate the sailors. The department noted that there were losses among the crew members.

According to the Minister of Community Development Oleksiy Kuleba, a 58-year-old cook, a citizen of Egypt, died as a result of the attack. Another 8 crew members, including citizens of Turkey and India, were forced to evacuate on a life raft. The vessel suffered significant damage and lost its seaworthiness.

The second civilian merchant vessel attacked was a Belizean-flagged vessel. It sustained damage but continued on its way. There were no injuries to the crew.

“This case once again demonstrates that the Russian Federation continues to violate the norms of international maritime law and create threats to civilian shipping,” the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.

According to Oleksiy Kuleba, attacks on the merchant fleet and humanitarian sea routes are a direct threat to global food and economic security and require a decisive response from the international community.

Recall that on June 10, Russian forces attacked two civilian vessels in the Black Sea . The ships under the flags of Panama and Barbados, which were moving through the Ukrainian sea corridor, came under attack.

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