Russian forces carried out a double attack on a foreign civilian ship, flying the flag of Palau, in the immediate vicinity of a port in the Odessa region.
The incident occurred today, July 25, 2026, while the cargo vessel, carrying nearly 2,800 tons of corn, was leaving the logistics hub, reports Ukrainska Pravda.
As a result of the two consecutive hits on board the vessel, a large-scale fire broke out. An intensive search and rescue operation is currently underway in the Black Sea. According to initial data from the rescue services, seven members of the foreign crew, as well as one Ukrainian port pilot, were successfully evacuated.
Two sailors remain missing and their fate is still unclear.
The attack is another stage in the intensified Russian campaign to destabilize civilian shipping and destroy Ukraine's grain infrastructure. Attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea have increased dramatically in recent weeks, causing serious tension among international shipping companies and insurance companies. According to data cited by Reuters, the escalation of attacks on the maritime corridor for exporting agricultural produce is putting global grain supplies and food security in a number of regions of the world at serious risk.