One dead after Ukrainian drone attacked grain vessel in Azov sea – official

The survivors reached shore days later after abandoning the sinking cargo ship, the head of Russia’s Kherson Region has said

A cargo ship sank in the Azov Sea after a Ukrainian drone strike, leaving one crew member dead, according to Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo. He described the incident as a “terrorist attack.”

The vessel, identified as the Volgo-Balt, was attacked on April 3 while carrying wheat, Saldo said on Telegram on Sunday. The crew abandoned the ship as it began to sink and managed to reach shore near the village of Strelkovoye in Russia’s Kherson Region two days later. One person, the senior assistant captain, died, while two others remain missing, according to the governor.
Local residents were the first to help the crew after they reached shore, assisting them before emergency services arrived.

The captain has been hospitalized in the town of Genichesk, Saldo said, adding that other crew members were receiving medical and psychological assistance.

“This is not the first time Ukraine has attacked civilian vessels in international waters. There will be accountability for these crimes,” Saldo added.

Earlier, TASS reported that the Russian-flagged Volga-Balt-138 was sailing from the port of Azov in Rostov Region to the port of Kavkaz in Krasnodar Region, citing MarineTraffic data, and was due to arrive on April 2. Its last signal was received three days before the incident. Nine crew members evacuated in a lifeboat capsule and reached Kherson Region.

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Russian officials have repeatedly accused Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure and vessels.