Russian drones attacked civilian merchant ships heading to Ukrainian ports overnight on June 22, killing a crew member on one of the vessels. This was reported by Oleksii Kuleba, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development.
According to him, two civilian merchant ships were hit in the attack. A fire broke out on a Panama-flagged vessel after it was struck by a drone.
A 58-year-old cook, an Egyptian citizen, was killed. Eight other sailors, including citizens of Turkey and India, were forced to evacuate on a life raft.
The vessel sustained significant damage and lost its seaworthiness.
Kuleba also said Russian forces attacked vessels flying the flags of Palau and Belize overnight. According to him, fortunately, there were no casualties on those ships, and the damaged vessels continued moving.
The deputy prime minister described the attack as another Russian war crime. He stressed that strikes on the merchant fleet and humanitarian maritime routes are a direct threat to global food and economic security.
According to Kuleba, such attacks require a firm response from the international community.
