A Russian drone strike hit a civilian cargo vessel bound for a Ukrainian port early morning on Monday, June 22, killing one crew member and setting the ship on fire, Ukrainian authorities said. The Turkish-owned bulk carrier VICTRESS, sailing under a Panamanian flag, was struck by a drone in the Black Sea, sparking a fire on board and causing significant damage, according to Ukraine’s Navy and the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA).JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukrainian naval forces launched a rescue operation, evacuating the crew on a life raft. One sailor – a 58-year-old cook – died in the attack. “Sadly, a member of the crew died. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. The remaining eight sailors were evacuated on a life raft,” the USPA said. Ukrainian officials condemned the strike as a deliberate attack on civilian maritime traffic and a violation of international law, accusing Russia of endangering global shipping routes and port infrastructure. The latest attack follows a separate wave of Russian drone strikes on June 19, when Kyiv reported that two civilian vessels were hit in the Black Sea, leaving one dead and several crew members injured. “One crew member of a Panama-flagged ship was killed as a result of a Russian UAV attack on civilian vessels in the Black Sea,” Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, Oleksii Kuleba, said, adding that two sailors were injured, including one in critical condition.