Russian attack on Odesa port leaves one Ukrainian dead, five foreigners injured in ballistic strike on civilian ship flying Palau flag
On the evening of October 7, Russian soldiers launched a ballistic missile at the port infrastructure of Odesa. As a result, one Ukrainian citizen was killed, and five foreigners were injured.
Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, reported this on Telegram.
"The enemy attacked Odesa with ballistic missiles. The aggressor's target was the port infrastructure. The enemy hit a civilian ship, flying the flag of Palau with a ballistic missile. A 60-year-old Ukrainian, an employee of a private cargo handling company, was killed. Five other foreign citizens were injured," he wrote.
Four of the wounded are in a condition of medium severity; one is in a light condition. They are currently receiving the necessary medical assistance.
"Russian terrorists are once again trying to disrupt the work of the Ukrainian Grain Corridor. In the last few days, this is the second attack on a civilian ship in the ports of Odesa. Law enforcement agencies are recording the consequences of yet another Russian crime," Kiper said.
It's worth mentioning that the OPTIMA ship was loaded today, but in just a few hours, it was attacked.
"This is a purposeful practice of intimidation and obstruction of the work of the Ukrainian Maritime Corridor. In this way, the aggressor is trying to destroy once again shipping in the Black Sea and undermine Ukrainian efforts to guarantee food security," Oleksii Kuleba, deputy head of the President's Office, said.
In his opinion, this could lead to increasing instability in vulnerable areas of the globe that rely on imported food and tension in global affairs.
Kuleba emphasized that the port infrastructure must be protected from terror to guarantee free and safe navigation.
"We must continue to strengthen our anti-aircraft defense and use the force of arms and the force of diplomacy to bring the enemy to justice," Kuleba said.
For reference:
On March 3, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would continue to develop the humanitarian program Grain from Ukraine. It involves the purchase of Ukrainian grain by allies and its transfer to countries affected by the humanitarian crisis.
The program is implemented in partnership with the World Food Program under the auspices of the United Nations.
Last August, Ukraine announced a "humanitarian corridor" to free up ships bound for African and Asian markets. It was also intended to circumvent a de facto blockade by Russia after Moscow reneged on a deal that guaranteed its exports during the war.
The Ukrainian Navy has announced opening a temporary corridor that can be used by all civilian vessels, including those in Odesa ports.
The government has presented a new mechanism for insuring ships against war risks, significantly reducing the current insurance premiums for carriers exporting and importing from or to our country by sea.
1,005 ships have already left Ukrainian Black Sea ports through the humanitarian corridor, delivering almost 30 million tons of cargo to world markets, including grain.
At the beginning of 2024, Ukraine exported more than 20 million tons of cargo from Odesa ports to 32 countries in 6 months of the temporary grain corridor.
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