Russia launched waves of drone attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and civilian ships on Tuesday, officials said. Two Panama-flagged vessels, Emmakris III and Captain Karam, were targeted as they entered a Ukrainian port to load wheat, the Ukrainian navy reported.
Russian strikes also hit the ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk, along with oil storage tanks, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. He condemned the attacks as attempts to disrupt logistics and complicate shipping, but confirmed both ports continued operations despite the damage.
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Odesa and the surrounding region host critical ports vital for Ukraine’s foreign trade and wartime economy. With other ports damaged, occupied, or disrupted during nearly four years of war, these hubs have grown in strategic importance for exports, particularly agricultural products.
Maritime warfare in the Black Sea has intensified recently, with both sides targeting naval and commercial assets. Ukraine is increasingly using sea drones to strike ships connected to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” while Russia escalates attacks on civilian port infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Navy said the strikes endanger civilian lives and threaten global food security. Officials described the attacks on civilian objects as deliberate war crimes, highlighting the growing humanitarian and economic risks of the conflict.