Ukraine’s seaports authority said the strikes hit two civilian vessels on Monday, one under a Marshall Islands flag and the other under Guinea-Bissau’s flag, both of which were heading to ports in the region.
The Ukrainian navy reported a strike on the KSL Deyang, a Chinese-owned cargo ship with a Chinese crew under the Marshall Islands flag. It posted a photograph of the ship showing its name with one of its sides partially charred.Aljazeera reported.
Russia has regularly attacked civilian vessels in the port area of Odesa, a vital maritime hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports, since it invaded Ukraine four years ago. Monday’s attack comes just before Putin’s two-day trip to Beijing, where he is to have talks with Chinese President Xi.
