Ukraine has accused Russia of striking a Chinese-owned cargo vessel in the Black Sea overnight, just one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to travel to Beijing for high-level talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The Ukrainian government said the attack occurred near the port of Odesa, a critical hub for the country’s agricultural exports. Kyiv regularly reports drone and missile strikes in the area as the war with Russia continues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that Russian drones struck the region and that one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China.
“The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea,” Zelensky said.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy told AFP that the vessel’s crew — all Chinese nationals — were not injured and that the ship continued its voyage after the incident.
The navy identified the vessel as the KSL Deyang, noting that it was en route for loading when it was reportedly struck by a Russian-made “Shahed” drone.
“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,” navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said.
Photographs released by Ukrainian authorities showed visible scorch marks on the ship’s upper deck following the attack.
Ukraine also reported a broader overnight assault involving 524 attack drones and 22 missiles, including both ballistic and cruise systems.
The incident adds a sensitive diplomatic layer to the conflict, given China’s position as a key strategic partner of Russia. Beijing has repeatedly called for peace talks but has stopped short of condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, positioning itself as a neutral actor in the war.
China and Russia are expected to further strengthen their bilateral relationship during Putin’s visit to Beijing, where both leaders are anticipated to discuss economic, military, and geopolitical cooperation.
The Black Sea region remains a focal point of the war, particularly after a grain export deal brokered in 2022 by the United Nations and Turkey collapsed following Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement, which had allowed Ukraine to safely export agricultural products through maritime corridors.
The latest incident is likely to heighten tensions around maritime security in the Black Sea and raise further questions about the safety of commercial shipping routes in an active war zone.
