Russian drone strike off Odesa kills captain, injures crew

A Russian drone attack on two commercial ships off the coast of Odesa on Tuesday, July 14, killed a ship captain and injured three crew members, marking the latest in a series of strikes on civilian vessels in the Black Sea. The Tanzania-flagged Atlas Bey and a Liberian-flagged merchant ship were struck while traveling through Ukraine's maritime corridor, according to Odesa authorities. The captain of the Atlas Bey, an Azerbaijani national, was killed after the Turkish-owned dry cargo ship was hit and caught fire. Eleven surviving crew members were brought ashore, three of whom were injured.

The attack followed a separate strike on a civilian cargo ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands in Odesa Oblast on the evening of July 14, which killed two people and damaged the vessel's superstructure. This came just one day after a Russian strike hit a Togolese-flagged merchant vessel in the Odesa region on July 13, killing three crew members and injuring five. Ukrainian officials said that vessel had been carrying agricultural products.

Regional Governor Oleh Kiper condemned the attacks, stating that Russia continues to deliberately target civilian vessels, actions he described as...