KYIV, Ukraine: A Ukrainian drone strike sank the Russian-owned container ship Yanina in the Black Sea early Saturday, while rescuers saved all 17 crew members, Ukrainian and Russian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later confirmed the strike. He described the Yanina as a sanctioned Russian-flagged vessel.
Rosatom Chief Executive Alexey Likhachev said two Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels struck the ship about 130 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk. He said the vessel was sailing in international waters.
The crew abandoned the ship after it began sinking, according to Russian reports. Russian Black Sea Fleet aircraft and the crew of the merchant vessel Delphinus participated in the rescue operation. All 17 crew members were reported in good condition.
Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom controls FESCO, the logistics company that operated the Yanina. Rosatom said the ship was carrying civilian cargo, including frozen food and construction materials. It reported no nuclear material aboard the vessel.
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Likhachev accused Ukraine of “piracy” and “maritime robbery,” according to an AFP report. Ukraine did not immediately respond to that characterisation.
Kyiv has repeatedly targeted Russian maritime and logistics assets during the war. Russia has also attacked Ukrainian port infrastructure and vessels approaching Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
