Russia attacks Chinese-owned vessel sailing through Ukrainian Maritime Corridor for the first time

On the morning of May 18, a Russian kamikaze drone struck the bulk carrier KSL DEYANG while it was sailing in the Black Sea near Ukraine’s Odesa region. The vessel is sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, is owned by a Chinese company, and had a crew of Chinese nationals on board, according to the Telegram message of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed that one of the drones hit a vessel owned by China.

“The Russians could not but know what vessel was at sea,” he said.

Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stressed that the attack on a Chinese merchant vessel was highly unusual.

“It is interesting what motivated the Russians when they decided tonight to hit a Chinese commercial vessel in our sea with a Shahed drone. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but this is something new. Was it a ‘monstrous mistake,’ comrades?” he wrote.

According to Odesa Region Military Administration Head Oleh Kiper, another drone strike during the overnight attack also hit a vessel under the flag of Guinea-Bissau. The ship was in a waiting area and moving through Ukraine’s maritime corridor toward the ports of Big Odesa.

Both vessels suffered minor fires as a result of the strikes, but the crews quickly extinguished them. No injuries were reported, and both ships remained operational and continued their voyage.

UPDATE. Kiper reported that this morning, while sailing through the Ukrainian corridor toward the entrance to the port of Chornomorsk, a Panamanian-flagged civilian vessel was struck. The vessel sustained damage, and a fire broke out, which the crew extinguished. There were no casualties. Despite the attack, the vessel continued on its course.