Russian cargo ship sinks in the Black Sea after drone attack

Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, announced on Sunday that the container ship Yanaina, owned by its subsidiary FESCO, sank in the Black Sea after being attacked by drones. Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev stated in a press briefing that all 17 crew members aboard the vessel had been rescued. He explained that the ship was struck by two drones in the Black Sea while transporting civilian goods, including frozen food and construction materials, through international waters. He emphasized that the attack could only be interpreted as piracy and maritime blockade.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that attacks had targeted three different oil refineries in Russia, as well as the Russian container ship Yanaina. Russia has been waging a military offensive against Ukraine since February 24, 2022, and has made Kyiv’s abandonment of its efforts to join Western military blocs a precondition for ending the war, a demand Ukraine considers interference in its internal affairs.