A Russian missile strike on a corn-carrying ship near Odesa has killed 10 people, marking the deadliest attack in the recent Black Sea violence while the Ukrainian president struggled to control growing protests at home.
Russia hit the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria, with three cruise missiles, causing a fire Sunday, Ukraine's navy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
A Reuters witness in Odesa saw smoke billowing from a vessel off the coast on Sunday, which Reuters was able to confirm was the Golden Leo.
A search and rescue operation lasted all night, Ukraine's seaports authority said, adding that nine crew members and one of its maritime pilots were killed. Eight of the vessel's 17 crew members were rescued, it added.
Golden Leo is owned by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd, according to LSEG data. Its manager, Friends Shipping Co SA, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
