An “unidentified explosive device” has detonated and damaged a civilian ship in the Black Sea, according to Ukraine’s navy.
Why It Matters
The Black Sea is a key battleground for Russia and Ukraine, the fighting interrupting much of the civilian traffic making its way through the water close to Ukraine’s coastline.
Mines threaten non-military ships, including cargo vessels, which have struggled to keep up grain exports despite deals designed to shield global food markets. Ukraine’s port infrastructure has also come under heavy Russian attack.
What To Know
Ukrainian media reported the civilian ship was a Belize-flagged cargo vessel, the NS Pride, but that the ship was not carrying cargo at the time. Publicly-available tracking data showed the 37-year-old vessel was in the Black Sea on August 28, heading for the Romanian port of Sulina. The port sits directly across from Ukrainian territory.
AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File
No crew members were injured, and the vessel is being inspected but will likely be able to continue moving without assistance, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy, told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
The ship sustained minor damage, Reuters reported, citing two anonymous sources.
Media reports say the ship was close to the port of Chornomorsk, not far from the regional hub of Odesa, at the time. Some reports indicated a previously undetonated part of a downed Russian attack drone may have exploded, while others suggested a drifting mine could have been responsible.
Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian navy for comment.
“Unfortunately, due to Russian aggression, the Black Sea remains littered with dangerous explosives,” Pletenchuk said, according to domestic media. “It’s impossible to predict where such hazards may appear, but we are doing everything possible to protect civilian shipping.”
The governor of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said on Sunday Russia had “massively attacked” the area with strike drones overnight, adding “the city of Chornomorsk and its surroundings suffered the most.”
Russia has hammered Ukraine with Iranian-designed Shahed explosive drones since the early days of the current phase of the war. Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with the annexation of the Crimea Peninsula.
Russia’s drones injured one person and damaged energy infrastructure around Odesa, as well as homes and administrative buildings, Kiper said on Sunday.
What People Are Saying
Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy, told public broadcaster Suspilne: “We are doing everything necessary to ensure the appropriate level of safety of civil shipping as much as possible. However, despite this, sometimes such incidents can occur.”
