Russian Drones Strike 3 Foreign-Flagged Ships in Black Sea Corridor, Injuring 2

Russian drones struck three foreign-flagged merchant ships in Ukraine's Black Sea maritime corridor on the evening and overnight of May 29. The attack ignited fires and injured two crew members on a Vanuatu-flagged vessel, which was later towed for repairs, according to Vice Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksii Kuleba.

One of the vessels hit was the bulk carrier ANT, en route from an Odesa Oblast port to Türkiye. A Russian drone struck its superstructure, causing a fire. The Maritime Search and Rescue Service and Navy units localized the blaze and evacuated the two wounded crew members. Crews on the other ships extinguished fires themselves. Ukraine has not yet released full details on the other two ships.

This incident continues a pattern of Russian targeting of civilian shipping in the corridor, which handles most of Ukraine's grain exports since Russia exited the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023. Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine maintains the corridor's operation despite constant attacks. This follows a May 18 Shahed drone strike on a Chinese commercial vessel in Ukrainian Black Sea waters.