Russia attacks Odesa port with ballistic missiles, damages civilian ship and kills four foreigners

A Russian missile strike on the port in Odesa on the evening of March 11 resulted in the deaths of four Syrian citizens and left two others injured.

The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, reported this on Telegram.

"Yesterday [March 11 – ed.] evening, Russia struck the port in Odesa. A ballistic missile damaged the ship "MJ PINA" under the Barbados flag.

Unfortunately, four people died – Syrian citizens. The youngest deceased was 18, the oldest – 24 years old," the head of the region reported.

Two more people – a Ukrainian and a Syrian – were injured.

"At the time of the strike, the ship was loading wheat for export to Algeria. A completely civilian ship," Kiper wrote.

The strike also damaged:

• another ship,
• moorings,
• warehouses for storing grain.

"It is important that the port infrastructure is protected from terror, and free and safe navigation is guaranteed. We must continue to strengthen our air defense, and achieve reliable peace and security by force of arms and diplomacy," Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine, Oleksii Kuleba, emphasized.

According to the prosecutor's office, the strike occurred at approximately 8:17 p.m. on March 11 and was likely carried out using an Iskander-M ballistic missile, based on preliminary data.

The attack resulted in the deaths of four foreign citizens, all of whom were crew members. Another crew member and a port employee were injured and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

Law enforcement officers have initiated a criminal case on the fact of committing a war crime that caused the death of people (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

It should be noted that on the evening of March 10, the Russian invaders once again massively attacked Odesa with strike drones: fires broke out at the site of the hits. A private residential building, a warehouse of children's toys, and a fuel tank caught fire.

For reference:

On October 14, Russian troops launched another attack on the port infrastructure of Odesa using ballistic missiles. This strike resulted in damage to two civilian vessels, including the dry cargo ship "OPTIMA," which sails under the Palau flag and has now been damaged for the second time. The attack left one person dead and eight others wounded.

On the evening of October 9, Russian troops hit the port infrastructure of the Odesa region with ballistic missiles. During the attack, a civilian ship under the flag of Panama, the container ship Shui Spirit, was damaged. The number of victims increased to 9 people.

On October 7, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile at the port facilities of Odesa, resulting in an attack on a commercial ship flying the flag of Palau. Tragically, a 60-year-old Ukrainian worker from a private cargo handling company lost his life, and five other crew members from different countries sustained injuries.

On the night of October 6, a civilian ship under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, which was standing in the port of Odesa with corn grain loaded for export, was damaged.

Russia traditionally claims the destruction of alleged military cargo, but in reality, its attacks are targeting innocent civilian objects. Most recently, in the Izmail district of the Odesa region, a similar attack caused damage to multiple trucks and administrative buildings located on the border with Romania.

Despite constant shelling, the Ukrainian Maritime Food Corridor operates around the clock. In just over a year, it has successfully exported over 70 million tons of cargo, with over 2,500 ships departing from Ukrainian ports for Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Such Russian tactics are not new. Last fall, during the shipment of grain and other products from Ukraine, the Russian occupiers also carried out a series of attacks on ports and ships that provide this type of export.