Russian Drone Hits Chinese Ship Off Ukraine Before Putin Visit to Beijing

Russian drones struck two vessels in the Black Sea approaching ports in Ukraine’s Odesa region on Monday, including a Chinese-owned cargo ship, one day before President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Ukraine’s seaports authority reported that the strikes hit two civilian vessels Monday, one flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and the other under Guinea-Bissau’s flag, both en route to ports in the Odesa region.

The Ukrainian navy said the KSL Deyang, a Chinese-owned cargo ship carrying a Chinese crew and registered under the Marshall Islands flag, was struck. The navy released a photograph showing the vessel’s name and one side partially charred.

Russia has frequently targeted civilian vessels in the port area of Odesa, a key hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports, since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. Monday’s attack occurred just ahead of Putin’s two-day visit to Beijing, where he plans to hold discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Drones struck Odesa and one of the UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] hit a vessel owned by China,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a social media post. “The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea.”

A spokesman for Ukraine’s navy told AFP that none of the crew, all Chinese nationals, were injured and the vessel continued its journey. A source told Reuters that the Deyang was empty at the time of the attack, en route to load iron ore concentrate at Ukraine’s Pivdennyi port in the Odesa region.

“The ship was entering for loading. After it was hit at night by a Shahed, the crew coped with the consequences on their own. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the vessel continued on its way to its port of destination,” Ukrainian navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces attacked Ukrainian territory overnight with 524 drones and 22 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

China has consistently called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine but has never condemned Russia for its February 2022 invasion, positioning itself as a neutral party.