A Russian drone strike overnight damaged a Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian officials, in an incident that comes just days before Russian President Vladimir Putin is due in Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Ukraine said the attack happened near the port city of Odesa, a key route for the country’s grain exports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said one of the Russian drones struck a vessel owned by a Chinese company while it was sailing in the Black Sea.
“The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy told AFP that the ship, identified as KSL Deyang, was preparing to load cargo when it was hit by a Shahed drone overnight.
The crew, all Chinese nationals, were not injured and managed the damage themselves before continuing the voyage.
Ukraine’s navy later released an image showing part of the vessel’s upper deck scorched from the impact.
The strike comes at a delicate moment for Moscow and Beijing.
Putin is expected in China for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries, which have maintained close relations throughout the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky also said Russia launched a massive overnight assault involving 524 drones and 22 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
China has consistently called for negotiations to end the conflict but has avoided condemning Russia since the invasion began in February 2022. Beijing continues to describe itself as neutral in the war.
The Black Sea remains a critical battleground for trade and food supplies.
In 2022, the United Nations and Turkey brokered a grain export agreement between Kyiv and Moscow to allow Ukrainian agricultural shipments through the region. Russia later pulled out of the deal about a year afterward.
