Russian attack kill 3 in Ukraine's Odesa, three others die in strike on merchant ship

Russian attacks on a merchant vessel in southern Ukraine and two other ships in the Black Sea on Tuesday killed three people, including one ship's captain, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

"In the evening, the enemy launched a new attack on port infrastructure in the Odesa region. During the attack, an enemy drone struck a civilian ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands," said the head of the region's military administration, Oleh Kiper.

More from World

"A fire broke out on board. Unfortunately, two people were killed," he said on Telegram.

Earlier, Kiper said two merchant ships, Tanzanian- and Liberian-flagged and sailing in the Black Sea, had also been hit.

"As a result... the captain of one of the ships was killed," he said, adding that the remaining crew of 11 had been evacuated, of whom three were wounded.

Kiper said the ships targeted in the Black Sea were sailing along corridors designated for the export of Ukrainian grain.

"Each of these cynical enemy strikes constitutes a war crime against peaceful populations, civilian shipping, and global food security," he said.

Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukraine's port infrastructure, with the Odesa region remaining a frequent focus of attacks.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have intensified strikes on vessels operating in the Sea of Azov, a key route for Russian agricultural exports and a vital supply corridor to Russian-occupied Crimea.

With inputs from agencies