The captain of a cargo ship was killed on September 23, 2026, in an airstrike carried out by Russian forces on the port of Odessa. This incident occurs amid a war that has now lasted over four and a half years, with both sides continuing to target ships and critical infrastructure.
Details of the attack and the ship's status
The ship in question, whose identity has not been disclosed, was targeted near the large Odessa port complex. According to reports, the captain of the ship lost his life due to a missile strike, and a fire broke out on the vessel. The ship, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, sustained serious damage and was left adrift. Ukrainian border guards quickly dispatched rescue boats to the scene, but efforts were hampered by heavy smoke and high temperatures. Nevertheless, 15 crew members were rescued from the ship, but they could not access the body of the captain, who was a Ukrainian citizen.
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Scope of the attack and reactions
The Russian Ministry of Defense included this ship in its lengthy list of nighttime operations and stated that "a dry cargo ship transporting military cargo to the port of Odessa was destroyed at sea." Russia continuously claims to target ships transporting military supplies to Ukraine.
This attack was part of a larger assault on Ukraine. Oleg Kiper, head of the military administration of the Odessa region, reported that warehouses in the Chernomorsk area were targeted in two consecutive strikes, and firefighting efforts lasted for several hours. He stated that these warehouses contained medicines, household goods, and food products.
The mayor of Kyiv also announced that they were subjected to a triple drone attack that resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to 25 others. There were also reports of explosions near the central railway station.
Ukrainian officials have called for the identification and proper assessment of Russia's targeted terrorism against civilian transport and those keeping maritime routes open. They claimed that since the beginning of the war, Russia has destroyed 1,054 Ukrainian port infrastructure facilities and targeted 232 civilian ships. Last week, a Tanzanian-flagged ship heading towards Ukraine was attacked, resulting in the captain's death and injuries to three other crew members.
Ukraine, for its part, continues to target ships. Yesterday, a drone force commander announced that since July, his team has disabled 300 ships in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. He emphasized that Ukraine has managed to suspend Russian maritime transport.
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