Russia strikes civilian ship in Black Sea: 1 dead, several wounded

One person was killed, and three others were wounded in a Russian strike on a civilian vessel in the Black Sea off the Odesa Oblast, the Odesa Oblast Military Administration reported.

A screenshot from a Telegram video showing a Russian munition striking the ship

Russian forces struck a vessel in the Black Sea, and the aftermath of the attack could be seen from the shore, according to videos posted online.

The Russian target was a civilian ship sailing under the flag of Guinea-Bissau and carrying Ukrainian wheat.

“The attack damaged the hull and caused a fire on the ship. The crew was evacuated ashore. The injured are receiving all necessary assistance,” the regional military administration said.

No immediate details were provided about the identity of the person killed in the attack.

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To provide background, according to the Ukragroconsult company, Ukrainian farmers have harvested 17.59 million tons of grain so far this season as of August 3, yet Russian strikes on ports and vessels continue to disrupt exports to the countries that depend on them most, including Egypt, which alone bought 2.63 million tons of Ukrainian wheat this marketing year.

Egypt, Ukraine’s largest wheat buyer this season at 2.63 million tons, and other historically grain-dependent nations across Africa and the Middle East face mounting risk as the World Food Programme warns of a powerful El Niñoі that could push 49 million more people into acute hunger by the end of next year, an 81% chance of it becoming the strongest such event since 1950.

Kyiv argues the disruption is compounded by a parallel problem: countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America trade with Russia, funding its war industries. 

Human rights organisations and Ukrainian authorities emphasise that structural economic pressure remains a key tool to halt Russia’s war. They urge every nation and individual government worldwide to strictly enforce global sanctions, close existing regulatory loopholes, and completely sever remaining commercial and technological ties with the Russian Federation. Civil society groups stress that any continued cooperation by foreign businesses directly contributes to the resources Moscow uses to sustain its ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Overnight and on the morning of August 6, Russian forces also struck Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkiv and Kherson Oblasts, killing at least five civilians.

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