Greek-owned Cargo Ship Damaged by Russian Mine in Black Sea

On Wednesday, a Greek-owned ship called 'Vyssos,' was damaged by a Russian mine in the Danube Delta in the Black Sea.

The Greek officials reported that 'Vyssos' was sailing towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail when it hit the explosive device in the Black Sea.

Vyssos Struck Russian Mine in Black Sea

The officials confirmed that the explosion caused damage to the ship and a small fire, while also resulting in minor injuries to two Greek sailors and an Egyptian cook.

The 18 members of the ship's crew, including the captain and the lieutenant, who are Greek, were also injured. However, the rest of the crew was in good condition. Rescuers and medical professionals who treated the injured crew members were sent to the ship by the Ukrainian authorities.

Ukrainian authorities posted a photo showing the explosion, which caused a fire on the upper deck. The reports claimed the captain ran the ship aground to prevent it from sinking. But an operation is underway to tow the ship to the port for repairs.

On Friday, the vessel is expected to arrive at the port of Izmail accompanied by tugboats. Ukraine has been able to lessen the threat that Russia's Black Sea Fleet poses to commerce by hitting its forces in Russian-occupied Crimea on several occasions.

A UN-brokered agreement that witnessed Russia commit to refraining from attacking grain vessels or port infrastructure collapsed in July. Within hours of the Kremlin's unilateral withdrawal from the deal, Moscow launched a powerful rocket bombardment that damaged produce-filled Ukrainian warehouses.

In the following months, Moscow's forces continued to attack Ukraine's Black Sea ports with drones and missiles. However, Kyiv has now challenged the Kremlin's control over the Black Sea and has established a humanitarian corridor that provides safe passage for container ships navigating the mine-filled shipping lanes.

But the water is heavily mined by Russian planes and is particularly dangerous in stormy weather. The ripple effects are potentially severe for buyers from Lebanon, Sudan, and Yemen, which rely on agricultural imports from Ukraine, one of the world's most fertile countries.

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(Photo : AFP via Getty Images)
In this photograph taken on September 22, 2023, the Eneida bulk carrier cargo ship sails towards the Ukrainian Black sea port of Chornomorsk, amid Russia's military invasion on Ukraine.

Drone Attacks in Black Sea Port City of Odesa

According to the local authorities, a fire erupted at a multistorey building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa late on Thursday following reports of drone attacks in the area.

"A high-rise building in Odesa was damaged by a downed drone," Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, announced in a Telegram post.

Images and videos of the fire that were uploaded by local Telegram channels showed the damage to the building's top two stories.

Kiper said that details on casualties were still being gathered, and he advised the residents to remain in their shelters due to the ongoing drone attacks.

According to The National, nearby explosive devices have been dropped by Russian forces regularly. The Odesa Maritime Guard reported that two civilian cargo ships were damaged by Russian mines this month.