Ukraine has accused Russia of striking a Chinese cargo vessel in the Black Sea during an overnight drone attack, just days before Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit China for talks with Xi Jinping.
Ukrainian authorities said the attack occurred near the port city of Odesa, a critical hub for Ukraine’s agricultural exports. President Volodymyr Zelensky said one of the drones launched by Russia struck a vessel owned by a Chinese company. “Drones struck Odesa … and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea,” he added.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s navy told AFP that all crew members aboard the vessel were Chinese nationals and that none were injured in the strike. According to navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk, the ship continued its voyage after the crew managed the damage independently.
“The ship was entering for loading. After it was hit at night by a Shahed, the crew coped with the consequences on their own. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the vessel continued on its way to its port of destination,” Pletenchuk said.
The Ukrainian navy identified the ship as the KSL Deyang and released a photograph showing damage to part of the upper deck, which appeared blackened following the impact. Zelensky also stated that Russia launched 524 attack drones and 22 missiles overnight against Ukraine, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
China has consistently positioned itself as neutral in the war and has repeatedly called for negotiations to end the conflict. However, Beijing has never formally condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, and has maintained close diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow.
Putin is expected to begin a two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday, May 19, where discussions are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation between the two countries. The Black Sea has remained a major flashpoint throughout the war, particularly over shipping routes and grain exports.
In 2022, Turkey and the United Nations brokered an agreement between Kyiv and Moscow to allow the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. Russia later withdrew from the agreement roughly a year after it was signed.