Ukraine says Russian missile hits second grain ship

Russia on Monday targeted a ship carrying Ukrainian grain with a ballistic missile – the second in two days – killing one person and injuring five, according to the Infrastructure Ministry in Kiev.

The Palau-flagged Optima was damaged at a port in the Odesa region shortly after docking for loading, Infrastructure Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said in a statement, without elaborating on the size of the cargo or its exact location.

“This is a deliberate practice of intimidation and obstruction of the activity of the Ukrainian maritime corridor,” Kuleba said.

Another bulker loaded with Ukrainian grain for export was damaged Sunday during a Russian missile barrage in the Odesa region. The Paresa, sailing under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was struck near one of the docks in the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi. The ship had 6,000 tons of corn on board. Its crew was unharmed.

Ukraine says Russian strike on Danube port city kills three

Russia frequently targets Ukrainian grain export infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube, a key source of revenue for the country. While Kyiv’s export volumes remained resilient, the attacks pushed traders to use more expensive alternative routes.

The ministry released images showing broken glass in the wheelhouse and metal debris next to loaded grain after the attack on Paresa. Greece-based AK Shipping, the ship’s owner, confirmed that the ship was attacked by Russia. It sailed into the port with empty holds to load grain, the firm said in an emailed statement.

On October 6, a Russian ballistic missile struck the civilian vessel PARESA from below 🇰🇳 flag in the port of Pivdennyi, reg. Odessa.
The ballistic missile hit the ship, loaded with 6,000 tons 🇺🇦 maize. It was the 20th civilian ship damaged by the Russians. Russia is a threat to global food security pic.twitter.com/1eVmTxo7gS
— Oleksii Kuleba (@OleksiiKuleba) October 7, 2024

As of Monday afternoon, Pivdennyi port was operating normally, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said.

Last month, a Russian missile hit an Egyptian-bound grain ship in neutral waters just off Ukraine.

Photo: Workers help load corn onto a ship. Photo credit: Daniel Mihăilescu/AFP/Getty Images

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