Ukraine said on Monday, May 18th that a Russian drone struck a Chinese-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea overnight. The incident—amid heightened tensions in the region—happened just ahead of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s planned visit to Beijing.
According to Kyiv, Russian forces launched a large overnight barrage targeting Ukraine. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky,
Drones struck Odesa…and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China.
The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea.
The Ukrainian navy confirmed that the ship was struck near the port of Odesa, a key hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports. Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said the vessel, named KSL Deyang, was hit by a Russian Shahed drone while entering port for loading.
The crew coped with the consequences on their own. With no one injured, the vessel continued on its way to its port of destination. All crew members were Chinese citizens; none were reported harmed.
Kyiv routinely reports attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea, particularly near Odesa, which has been repeatedly targeted since the start of the war.
Zelensky also accused Russian forces of launching 524 attack drones and 22 missiles overnight, including both ballistic and cruise systems.
