Three crew members were killed and five others wounded after a Russian strike tore into a civilian cargo ship unloading fertiliser in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, officials said.
The Togo-flagged merchant vessel was engulfed in flames after a missile slammed into its superstructure while it was docked unloading cargo, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Dramatic images from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing above the harbour as firefighters battled to contain the blaze.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Community and Territorial Development said the vessel was carrying out a routine unloading operation when it came under attack.
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“The enemy struck a civilian merchant ship under the flag of Togo,” the ministry said.
“As a result of hitting the superstructure of the ship, a fire broke out.”
Three crew members died in the attack while five others were injured and taken to hospital. Officials have not yet released the nationalities of those onboard.
The strike also damaged port infrastructure and nearby civilian facilities, adding to the destruction inflicted during another night of Russian bombardment across southern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Sea Ports Administration said the attack was the latest in a string of deadly Russian strikes against civilian targets around Odesa.
Russia struck a civilian cargo vessel flying the Togolese flag while it was unloading mineral fertilizer at a port in Ukraine's Odesa region, according to Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister. Reports say three crew members were killed and five others injured. Footage released later… pic.twitter.com/jhOGry2NFX
— DDF NEWS (@ddfmarketing1) July 13, 2026
In just a few days, Russian terror has already claimed six lives,” the agency said.
“These were port workers, drivers and sailors who were simply doing their jobs and had nothing to do with the fighting.”
Elsewhere in Odesa, Russian drones struck a transport company, destroying several buses and damaging nearby homes.
The overnight assault followed another drone attack just hours earlier that hit a residential building and commercial premises.
Since the start of the invasion, Russia has repeatedly attacked merchant vessels operating from Ukrainian ports, particularly those exporting grain and other commodities across the Black Sea.
At the same time, Ukraine has dramatically intensified its own campaign against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet—oil tankers Kyiv says help finance Vladimir Putin’s war by evading Western sanctions.
Ukrainian officials claim they have struck 105 Russian tankers in just eight days, including 15 vessels overnight, in what appears to be one of the most aggressive campaigns yet against Moscow’s maritime supply network.
Kyiv argues that attacks on merchant ships entering Ukrainian ports violate international humanitarian law, while maintaining that Russian oil tankers used to bypass sanctions are legitimate military-linked targets.
The latest strike is another reminder that the battle for control of the Black Sea has expanded far beyond warships, with commercial shipping increasingly caught in the crossfire.
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