(Reuters) – According to the Ukrainian military, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier on its way to a River Danube port to load grain struck a mine in the Black Sea on Thursday. This incident is the most recent in a series of civilian vessels hitting explosives in the Black Sea, which Kyiv believes are part of increased Russian attacks on shipping and port infrastructure.
Ukraine’s southern military command stated on Telegram that “A Panama-flagged civilian vessel was blown up on an enemy sea mine in the Black Sea…The vessel lost its course and control, and a fire broke out on the upper deck.” One person was hospitalized, and another received medical assistance on board. Tugs were dispatched to the location, the military disclosed. The exact date of the incident was not specified.
Since mid-July, Moscow has ramped up its attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure, following its withdrawal from a U.N.-brokered agreement that had permitted the safe passage of Ukrainian grain shipments through the Black Sea. In response, Kyiv has established an alternate route along the western shores of the Black Sea. It has alleged that Russian forces have been dropping explosive devices in its vicinity on multiple occasions.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, Editing by William Maclean and Angus MacSwan)
