A Russian drone attack on a cargo ship sailing toward Ukraine has left one crew member dead and forced several others to abandon the vessel, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksiy Kuleba, disclosed that the attack occurred on a Panama-flagged cargo vessel identified as Victress. He said the strike triggered a fire onboard and caused extensive damage to the ship.
According to Kuleba, the victim was a 58-year-old Egyptian national who worked as a cook on the vessel.
“The drone strike ignited a fire aboard the ship, resulting in the death of one crew member,” Kuleba said in a statement shared on Telegram.
He added that eight other sailors, including citizens of Turkey and India, escaped the vessel using a life raft after it became unsafe to remain onboard.
“The ship sustained severe damage and is no longer seaworthy,” he stated.
The Ukrainian Navy confirmed the incident, noting that firefighters battled a large blaze on the vessel following the attack.
In a statement, the Navy accused Russia of endangering civilian maritime activities.
“This incident demonstrates the continuing threat posed to civilian shipping and international maritime safety,” the Navy said.
Kuleba further alleged that two other vessels sailing under the flags of Palau and Belize were also targeted during the attacks, although no casualties were reported in those incidents.
Meanwhile, Russian military operations in other parts of Ukraine reportedly resulted in additional casualties.
Regional authorities said one person was killed in a missile strike on the southern port city of Odesa, while another woman died following a drone attack in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia.
The head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, said emergency responders initially searched for a woman trapped inside a house engulfed by flames after the attack.
“Sadly, the woman’s death has now been confirmed,” Fedorov said.
Ukraine’s emergency services also reported that Russian strikes damaged civilian infrastructure in Odesa, including an agricultural facility.
“One person lost their life and three others sustained injuries during the missile attack,” the agency said.
On the Russian side, authorities temporarily suspended operations at Moscow’s four major airports after multiple Ukrainian drones were detected overnight.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 301 Ukrainian drones across several regions of the country.
The latest attacks come as efforts led by the United States to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine remain stalled, with both sides continuing to intensify military operations.
