Russian Drones Attack Two Panamanian-Flagged Civilian Vessels in Ukraine

On December 30, Russian forces attacked two Panamanian-flagged civilian vessels in Ukraine’s Odesa region using drones.

The Ukrainian Navy’s press service reported the attack and released photos showing the damage caused by the strikes.

Civilians were injured, and the ships sustained damage.

According to the military, the drones hit the bulk carriers Emmakris III and Captain Karam. At the time of the attack, Captain Karam was entering a Ukrainian port to load wheat.

According to the photos, the strikes hit the sides of the vessels. The type of aerial attack drone used by the Russians is currently unknown.

It is likely that the drones used were Shahed-type UAVs, which Russian forces regularly employ to attack Ukraine’s port infrastructure in the south.

On December 13, Russian forces attacked the vessel VIVA. The ship belongs to a company based in the United Arab Emirates and was traveling from Ukraine to Egypt carrying a cargo of sunflower oil.

The Ukrainian Navy noted that ports and civilian shipping are civilian infrastructure. Attacks on them pose a threat to the lives of civilians and undermine global food security.

Therefore, deliberate strikes on civilian objects constitute a conscious war crime by the aggressor state.