Vessel leaving Ukraine struck by Russian missile
‘We are waiting for the reaction of the world. Wheat and food security should never be a target for missiles,’ says Ukrainian president
There are no known casualties so far following Russian strike. Vessel was destined for Egypt with Ukrainian grain cargo
A MERCHANT ship loaded with wheat was struck today while sailing from Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, according to a post on the official Telegram channel of president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
There are no indications of any casualties on board so far.
The 27,239 dwt bulk carrier Aya (IMO: 9117868) was hit while sailing in the Danube region on route to Egypt, according to Odesa-based Lloyd’s agent Eurogal Surveys.
The damage was not critical and the vessel continued to sail.
Aya departed Chornomorsk on September 11, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence data. The vessel is now waiting around Constanta anchorage.
“Our food supply to countries in Africa and the Middle East region is critical,” said Zelenskyy.
“We will continue to do everything to protect our ports, our Black Sea and the supply of food to the global market.”
Ukraine’s “temporary” Black Sea maritime route has been operational for a year.
It was established after Russia withdrew from the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative and has facilitated the unimpeded export of grain and other commodities from Ukraine’s deepsea ports.
There were safety concerns in the early day of the corridor’s functioning after Russia warned that ships heading to the Black Sea ports could be targeted.
While Russia regularly attacks infrastructure at Ukrainian ports, there have only been a handful of incidents since the opening of the corridor where ships were directly targeted or impacted.
One of the last major incidents was the missile strike on bulk carrier KMAX Ruler (IMO: 9436642) that killed a Ukrainian pilot.
Speaking of the latest attack, Zelenskyy said: “We are waiting for the reaction of the world. Wheat and food security should never be a target for missiles.”
