Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly condemned a Russian drone attack on a Chinese merchant vessel in the Black Sea. According to the Kyivpost, Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that the Russians knew which ship was at sea. The attack occurred overnight Monday in the port of Odesa.
Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said on Facebook that Russian forces attacked the Chinese ship in Ukrainian territorial waters with a Shahed drone. “I wonder what prompted the Russians to use a Shahed drone to hit a Chinese merchant ship in our sea,” Pletenchuk wrote. There were no casualties.
In addition to the attack on the Chinese ship, Russia shelled the Dnipro area and its surroundings for more than six hours, according to Zelenskyy. A high-rise building was hit, and civilian infrastructure including energy facilities and residential buildings were damaged. The attacks spanned eight Ukrainian regions.
Zelenskyy called for urgent reinforcement of Ukraine’s air defense in light of the ongoing aerial assaults. He appealed to European partners to supply more capable air and missile defense systems. Ukraine has been defending against Russia’s war of aggression since February 2022.
