Russia strikes Liberian-flagged merchant ship in the port of Odesa: one killed and three wounded

Russia on Saturday attacked a Liberian-flagged merchant ship at one of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports in the Odesa region, killing one person and wounding three others, Ukraine’s sea ports administration announced, as the Reuters news agency reports.

According to the ports administration’s statement on the Telegram app, cited by Reuters, the other 13 crew members were evacuated to safety after the attack.

The attack is the latest episode in Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s ports and merchant shipping: in effect, Moscow has resumed its blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports since the summer, disrupting trade routes, reducing grain and steel exports and dealing a heavy blow to Ukraine’s economy, as Reuters notes.

Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the strike, claiming the targets included a cargo ship bound for Odesa which, it said, was carrying “dual-use” goods for the Ukrainian armed forces — claims presented as such by Moscow, without independent verification.

The attack on the ship came on the day Russia struck Kyiv’s main bridges for a third day in a row: the Ukrainian capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed on Saturday morning that the Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River was damaged by a drone, while four people were wounded in Hostomel, according to media reports.