Russian Drone Strike Hits Chinese-Owned Cargo Ship in Black Sea Ahead of Putin Visit

A Russian drone struck a Chinese-owned civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea near Odesa early Monday, an incident that occurred just one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Beijing. Ukrainian authorities reported the attack as part of a broader overnight assault involving drones and missiles across multiple regions.

The vessel, identified as the bulk carrier KSL Deyang, was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by a Chinese company. It had a crew of Chinese nationals on board. According to Ukrainian officials, the ship was in a waiting area and transiting Ukraine's maritime corridor toward the port of Pivdennyi in the Odesa region to load iron ore concentrate. A second civilian vessel, under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, was also struck. Small fires broke out on both ships but were extinguished by their crews. No injuries were reported, and both vessels continued toward their destinations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the strike in a social media post, stating that Russian forces could not have been unaware of the vessel's identity. Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk described the incident as unprecedented,...