Russia strikes Palau-flagged civilian ship in Odesa: one dead, five injured

The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, and the Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction, Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, Oleksiy Kuleba, reported the information.

Russia targeted the port infrastructure of Odesa, striking a civilian ship flying the Palauan flag with a ballistic missile. The attack killed a 60-year-old Ukrainian, an employee of a private cargo handling company, and left five foreign nationals injured—four in moderate condition and one in light condition.

According to Kuleba, within two days, Russian forces damaged two ships that were scheduled to export cargo from Ukraine.

“This is a deliberate practice of intimidation and obstruction of the Ukrainian sea corridor. In this way, the aggressor is trying to disrupt shipping in the Black Sea once again and undermine Ukraine's efforts to ensure food security. This will only lead to increased instability in regions that depend on food imports and further unrest in international relations,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, called the Russian attack on the civilian ship in Odesa a “deliberate terrorist tactic.”

“By attacking civilian vessels, Russia tries to weaken Ukraine’s economy and put millions around the world at risk of hunger. We must join forces of all responsible states and organizations to stop the aggressor, ensure freedom of navigation in Black Sea and global food security,” he wrote on X.

At 7:47 p.m., Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov reported an explosion in the city.

• On the night of October 6, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the port of Pivdennyi in the Odesa region. As a result, a civilian ship carrying food for export was damaged.