One dead after drone hits Turkish-owned ship in Black Sea

ISTANBUL

A Turkish-owned cargo ship was hit by a drone in the Black Sea, leaving one crew member dead and forcing the evacuation of the vessel, Ukrainian officials said.

The Panama-flagged dry cargo vessel VICTRESS caught fire after it was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle, the Ukrainian Navy said.

The vessel had nine crew members on board, including citizens of Egypt, Türkiye and India.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said the crew member killed in the attack was a 58-year-old Egyptian cook.

Eight other sailors left the vessel on a life raft and were rescued by Ukrainian naval units, he said.

The Ukrainian Navy said its crews carried out the rescue operation because of the risk that the fire could spread further.

Kuleba said the vessel sustained significant damage and lost seaworthiness.

The Ukrainian Navy blamed Russia for the strike, saying the incident showed that Moscow continued to pose risks to civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

The vessel had departed from Kartal anchorage in Istanbul on June 19 and was listed as heading to the Romanian port of Sulina, according to vessel tracking data.

No detailed official information was immediately available on the condition or nationalities of any injured crew members.