Russia fired three Kh-59/Kh-69 stand-off cruise missiles, launched from tactical aircraft, at the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier owned by a Turkish company, as it left the port of Odesa loaded with grain, according to the South China Morning Post. One missile struck the starboard side of the ship’s superstructure, sparking a fire.
Ukraine’s transport minister, Mykola Kalashnyk, said eight crew members were rescued, two of them injured, while six sailors were confirmed dead and four more remained missing, according to the South China Morning Post. The 18-member crew included citizens of India, Syria, and Ukraine, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha confirmed that a Ukrainian maritime pilot was among those killed.
The Ukrainian Navy said the ship was struck while “leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain,” and units of the Navy and Maritime Search and Rescue Service were deployed to assist in the rescue operation, according to UNN.
