Seafarers Killed and Injured as Russia Strikes Two Ships Near Ukraine
Russian forces struck two cargo ships on Friday, January 9, killing one seafarer and injuring a second crewmember, according to Ukrainian officials. It comes as Ukraine continues to accuse Russia of “deliberately targeting civilian facilities, international shipping, and food logistics.”
The attack on civilian shipping came after an overnight barrage, which was one of the largest in the four-year war, and only the second time Russia has used its Oreshnik hypersonic missiles. The hypersonic missile was first deployed in November 2024 and is seen as an attempt at intimidation and a message to Ukraine’s western allies.
Reports said hundreds of drones and missiles were launched against Ukraine, with Kyiv being one of the primary targets. Ukrainian emergency services are reporting four people were killed, and at least 25 were injured in Kyiv. Nearly 6,000 apartment buildings were reportedly left without electricity and heating, and emergency services had brought in portable boilers to restore services at hospitals and public facilities. The Qatari Embassy in Kyiv was also reportedly damaged.
Two cargo ships were damaged with one crewmember killed and another injured on the ships (ODA)
The general cargo ship Wael K, owned by Turkish interests, was reportedly struck on its way to the port of Chornomorsk. The vessel, built in 1994, is 8,000 dwt and registered in St. Kitts and Nevis. It was inbound to load a cargo of grain.
The cargo ship was reportedly in the Ukrainian Sea Corridor when it was struck in its upperworks by a Russian drone. The vessel’s second mate, a Syrian citizen, was reportedly injured and receiving medical attention. The ship was able to continue under its own power and was reported to be heading to the nearest port.
A second vessel, a dry bulk carrier, was also hit while docked in the Great Odesa port complex. Reports said the Ladonna was loading soybeans. The vessel registered in Comoros is also owned by Turkish interests and managed from China. It was built in 1995 and is 22,000 dwt.
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Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksiy Kuleba, announced that one crewmember, a Syrian citizen, had died as a result of the attack. He called it a war crime.
Turkish officials have already called for a de-escalation and a stop to targeting commercial vessels after the earlier attacks on Black Sea shipping. Russia intensified its campaign against Ukraine’s seaports and port infrastructure after attacks on the shadow fleet. Reuters reports the Ukrainian Seaport Authority said attacks on the Greater Odesa seaport complex had almost tripled in 2025 versus 2024 to 96 reports.
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