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Russian attacks on merchant ships raise international concerns

The Russian attack on Oct 9 with ballistic missiles against various infrastructures in the port of Chornomorsk, a few kilometers south of Odessa, caused the death of six people, injuries to 11 others and damage to the 'Shui Spirit', according to Ukrainian government sources. This was the third attack on maritime commercial interests in Ukrainian Black Sea ports in four days and the fifth merchant ship hit by the Russian military in the space of a month, The attack followe the one on Oct 7, when the cargo m/v 'Optima' was hit by a Russian missile while operating in another port in the Greater Odessa region, causing the death of a Ukrainian port worker and injuries to five crew members of the ship. Also on Oct 6, an Iskander M missile hit the 'Paresa' in the port of Yuzhny. The attack caused significant damage, although there were no casualties among the crew. Russian authorities have officially acknowledged the attack on the 'Paresa', arguing that it was carrying war material destined for Ukraine, a claim that has been denied by the company that manages the ship, AK Shipping, based in Greece. According to its executives, the ship arrived at the port of Yuzhny in ballast and was prepared to load corn. For the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksii Kuleba, these attacks are a deliberate attempt to intimidate and hinder the work of the Ukrainian maritime corridor. He assured that maritime trade, which has operated relatively smoothly since the creation of the Ukrainian corridor in August 2023, now faces a constant threat from Russia. This corridor was established after Moscow withdrew from a UN-led plan and has been key to the Ukrainian economy, allowing more than 2,500 commercial transits from the ports of Odesa, Yuzhny/Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. Since then, Russia has frequently attacked the port infrastructure of the three terminals, as well as other ports along the Danube. Direct attacks on ships had been very rare until September, and have since become increasingly common. The last fatality before these latest attacks on ships in the Black Sea dates back to Nov 2023, when a missile hit the 'KMax Ruler', killing the pilot on board. This recent escalation has raised international concern, as Russian attacks are not only targeting port infrastructure, but also merchant ships.

Russian missile damaged civilian ship with grain cargo

The 'Paresa' was hit by a Russian missile on Oct 6, 2024, at 2 a.m. LT and sank in Yuzhny at a berth adjacent to the TIS Container Terminal, as it was due to load a cargo of Ukrainian grain, according to the owner, the Piraeus-based AK Shipping. The ship’s AIS transponder stopped broadcasting on Oct 5 at 08.59 UTC. The cargo hold No. 2 was struck by an Iskander M-type missile. No crew members were injured. The owner denied Russian claims that their vessel was carrying ammunition into Ukraine and was therefore a legitimate military target. It had arrived from Sulina ballasting to Yuzhny on 3Sep 30 and started loading corn in bulk one day later. The 'Paresa' was fixed to carry Ukrainian grain in October from Yuzhnzy/Pivdennyi on behalf of Swiss clients.