Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said this morning that Russian forces attacked a Chinese ship with a drone at night. “What made the Russians decide to target a Chinese merchant ship in our waters tonight with the Shahid drone?” RBC-Ukraine quoted his statement.
He noted that no one was injured in the unusual incident. “Has there been a terrible mistake, comrades?” he added ironically.
The Navy later stated that the ship’s name is KSL DEYANG. Its owner is a North Korean company, the crew comes from China and the ship sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands. After a few hours, the update was completed by Ukrainska pravda.
In recent months, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked civilian ships operating in the Black Sea and heading to Ukrainian ports. Previously, foreign merchant ships flying the flags of the Cook Islands and Liberia were hit, some suffered damage and crew members were also injured.
On the night of May 18, Russia launched large-scale attacks on several Ukrainian regions. According to local authorities, an eleven-year-old boy and a fifty-nine-year-old man were injured in Odessa. The attacks also damaged a residential building, a gymnasium and a kindergarten.
At the same time as the incident in the Black Sea, Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for his two-day visit to China, where he is to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Kremlin announced the visit a few days ago. The main topics should be the further development of mutual relations and broader international issues. The two leaders last met in person in Beijing last September.
