Russian Drone Hits Chinese Cargo Ship in Black Sea, Ukraine Says
Kyiv said the strike occurred near Odesa hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to travel to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Erbil (Kurdistan24) - A Russian drone struck a Chinese cargo vessel in the Black Sea overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Monday, in an incident that unfolded shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement posted on Social Media that Russian drones targeted the southern port region of Odesa during the attack.
“Drones struck Odesa ... and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China. The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea,” Zelensky said.
According to a spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy speaking to AFP, none of the crew members aboard the vessel were injured. The spokesperson added that all crew members were Chinese citizens and that the cargo ship continued its voyage following the incident.
The strike comes amid heightened tensions in the Black Sea, where shipping routes and port infrastructure have repeatedly come under attack since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since withdrawing from the Black Sea grain agreement in 2023, Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks targeting Ukrainian port infrastructure, particularly around Odesa and the Danube export corridor, both critical for Ukraine’s agricultural exports and international shipping traffic.
China has attempted to maintain close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, publicly presenting itself as neutral while deepening economic and diplomatic coordination with Russia.
Beijing has also become one of Russia’s most important trading partners since Western sanctions isolated Moscow from much of the global financial system following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The timing of the incident is likely to draw additional attention because it occurred just one day before Putin’s planned visit to China for talks with Xi, as Moscow and Beijing continue expanding political and economic cooperation despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian allegations at the time of publication.