Ukraine claims Russia struck a grain vessel close to Romania, a NATO member

Tensions between Moscow and the military alliance escalated on Thursday when Ukraine accused Russia of employing strategic bombers to assault a civilian grain freighter in a missile attack in Black Sea waters close to NATO member Romania.

The ship transporting Ukrainian grain to Egypt was struck by a Russian missile overnight, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, just after it departed Ukrainian territorial waters. He said there were no casualties.

Russia did not immediately respond.

The strike was described as “a brazen attack on freedom of navigation and global food security” by Andrii Sybiha, the foreign minister of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian navy, several cruise missiles were fired by Russian Tupolev Tu-22 bombers on Wednesday at 11:02 p.m. local time (2002 GMT).

This was the first missile strike on a grain-transporting civilian vessel at sea since the beginning of Moscow’s invasion in February 2022. During Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports where the vessels were docked, some of the vessels suffered damage.

The incident occurs at a time when Zelenskiy is attempting to court the Global South, which includes Egypt—which Ukraine claims is the grain’s destination—and persuade them to side with the West in backing Ukraine in the conflict.

The attack occurs at a time when NATO partners are debating enabling Ukraine to launch more extensive attacks into Russia, a move that Moscow has warned may provoke retaliation. Iran has been charged by the West with a significant escalation for providing Russia with ballistic missiles.

A bulk carrier flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis was hit by a Russian-launched missile after departing the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk in the Odesa area of Ukraine, according to a note released by the British maritime security company Ambrey.

According to the statement, the ship’s port side experienced damage to a cargo hold and a crane.

The ship was recognized by the Navy as the bulk carrier Aya.

The ship’s last known position, according to ship tracking data, was off the port of Constanta in Romania. VRS Maritime Services, the manager of the ship, was not immediately available for comment. VRS is situated in Athens.

The event, according to traders, has raised worries about a tightening supply in the Black Sea export zone, which has helped to drive up wheat prices. U.S. futures reached a two-month high, rising as much as 2%.

Zelenskiy shared pictures of various damages as well as the bent metal of a wrecked crane.

Global Response

The strike occurred not far from the Danube river’s mouth, an industry source told Reuters. According to Reuters, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian navy, the ship was in the maritime economic zone of Romania.

An area that stretches outside of a nation’s territorial seas is called its maritime economic zone.

The ship had not entered Romanian territorial waters, according to the country’s naval authority, and no call for help had ever been made.

Zelenskiy posted on X, saying, “We’re waiting for the global response. Missiles should never be aimed at wheat or food security.”

Since Russia’s invasion enforced a de facto blockade, Ukraine, a significant worldwide grain exporter, has had to combat Russia in the Black maritime to resuscitate its shipments through its maritime ports.

Later that year, the shipments from the three ports in the wider Odesa area were resumed, albeit in reduced quantities, as a result of an agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN the previous year.

Without Russia’s approval, Ukraine opened its own maritime route in August 2023 after counterattacking Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and driving its ships out of the western sea with naval drones and long-range weaponry.

The shipping route follows the Black Sea’s western shore before leaving Ukrainian territorial waters and traveling south past Romania and Bulgaria.