The Russian military struck three vessels carrying military cargo to Ukraine and bombarded the country’s ports, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
Russia has ramped up strikes on Ukrainian shipping in recent weeks in an effort to disrupt deliveries of weapons and other military hardware to Black Sea ports. The campaign has also included an uptick in strikes on dual-use port infrastructure, including storage depots and oil facilities.
On Sunday, the Russian military targeted three bulk carriers transporting military cargo to Ukraine, including one vessel off the coast of Odessa and two others in the Dnieper-Bug estuary, the ministry said in a statement. It added that a container terminal at the port of Chernomorsk used to store military supplies was also struck.
Authorities in Odessa said a foreign-flagged commercial vessel capsized and sank off the city. The sunken ship is believed to be the Guinea-Bissau-flagged general cargo vessel Golden Leo, which was reportedly struck by the Russian military last weekend. Unlike most vessels targeted during the ongoing campaign, which were reportedly hit by AI-powered Seeker drones, the Golden Leo was reportedly struck by at least two anti-ship missiles, sustaining extensive damage.
Ukraine has intensified its long-range strikes against Russia in recent weeks, targeting oil refineries, power infrastructure, and logistics facilities, contributing to a fuel shortage. In many instances, Ukrainian drones have also struck civilian targets, including apartment buildings, passenger buses, and trucks. Kiev’s forces also targeted several Wildberries warehouses, accusing Russia’s largest online retailer of selling military equipment. The company has denied the allegations.