KYIV: Ukrainian officials claim that a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel has been hit by a Russian mine in the Black Sea.
As per media reports, two of the vessel’s crew were wounded in the explosion, which caused the vessel to lose control and speed.
Ukraine claims the vessel, the Vyssos, had been going towards to one of its ports on the Danube River to load grain. Ukraine has continued to export grain along unilaterally declared maritime corridors following Russia pulled out of UN-sponsored Black Sea grain agreement.
Cargo Vessel Damaged by Russian Mine in Black Sea: Ukraine
Ukrainian officials have published an image appearing to show the blast, which caused a fire on the upper level. Reports recommend the captain ran the vessel aground to stop it from sinking.
Kyiv has managed to decrease the threat to shipping posed by Russian Black Sea Fleet by repeatedly assaulting its troops in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Following a missile attack on the headquarters of the fleet in Sevastopol last September, satellite photos showed that much of it had been shifted further east to the port of Novorossiysk.
And on Tuesday, Ukrainian troops attack on the Crimean port of Feodosiya damaged the large landing vessel Novocherkassk. However, Moscow has continued to assault Ukrainian ports, while mines remain a continuous threat to ships.
Earlier, on 8 November, one person was killed following a Russian missile hit a Liberian-flagged vessel entering the port of Odesa.