One dead, two missing after wheat vessel hit near Kherson
A cargo ship carrying wheat sank in the Sea of Azov after coming under a Ukrainian drone attack, killing one crew member and leaving two missing, a Russia-installed official said on Sunday.
Vladimir Saldo, leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Kherson region, said the incident occurred on Friday, but crew members were unable to reach shore until Sunday near the village of Strilkove. Saldo described the attack as a “terrorist act by the Kyiv regime” and said nine crew members, all Russian nationals, survived.
The deceased was an aide to the captain, who is now recovering in hospital. An investigation into the sinking of the Volgo-Balt is underway. Saldo added that this was not the first time Ukraine targeted merchant ships, and warned that a response to the attack would follow.
The attack highlights ongoing tensions in southern Ukraine, where Russian forces hold over 70% of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, annexed by Moscow in 2022.
Source: Reuters