June 10 - Ukraine’s Ports Authority reported that two commercial vessels flagged by Panama and Barbados sustained damage after being attacked while navigating the Black Sea corridor established by Ukrainian authorities.
According to a post on the authority’s Telegram channel, one of the ships was en route to the port of Odesa with a cargo of metal. The other vessel, described as carrying grain, had already departed the port and was operating within the same designated navigation corridor that is intended to allow ships to move through the Black Sea and on to Romanian ports on the Danube River.
The Ports Authority said that a fire broke out aboard one of the vessels but was swiftly extinguished by its crew. There were no reported injuries among seafarers, and both vessels were able to continue on their journeys following the incident.
Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region, wrote on Telegram that Russian drones had conducted the strikes. The governor said the attacks formed part of an effort to disrupt the maritime corridor and to terrorise the Odesa region. He added that "several waves" of Russian drones had struck the south of the region, hitting civilian targets and energy infrastructure.
"The enemy is continuing to terrorise peaceful Odesa region and is trying to disrupt the operation of the Ukrainian maritime corridor," Kiper wrote on Telegram.
The Russian defence ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment, the Ports Authority noted. Beyond the initial statements from Ukrainian authorities, there were no additional details released about the nature or extent of the damage to the two ships.
The incident highlights the operational risks faced by commercial shipping using the corridor, which was set up to facilitate transit to Romanian ports on the Danube. Ukrainian authorities have emphasised the corridor’s role in maintaining maritime traffic, while reporting these recent attacks as attempts to interfere with its functioning.
Contextual summary
Two merchant vessels - one Panamanian-flagged carrying metal and one Barbadian-flagged carrying grain - were damaged while transiting a Ukrainian-declared navigation corridor in the Black Sea. A fire aboard one ship was extinguished by the crew, there were no injuries, and both ships continued. Odesa’s governor attributed the attacks to Russian drones and reported strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure in the region. The Russian defence ministry had not responded to requests for comment.