Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev has accused Ukraine of “piracy” after a civilian container ship belonging to the Russian state nuclear corporation was sunk by Ukrainian drone strikes.
The MV Yanina, a freighter operated by Rosatom subsidiary FESCO, was attacked by two drones approximately 130 miles off Novorossiysk in the Black Sea. Likhachev stated that the vessel was carrying civilian goods—including frozen foods and construction materials—and described the attack as “piracy and maritime banditry.”
The incident prompted a rescue operation by the international crew of the container ship Delphinus, captained by an Egyptian national. Despite the danger posed by drones, 16 of the ship’s 17 crew members were rescued at night, with the last survivor saved by Russian Black Sea Fleet aircraft. All sailors are in “satisfactory” condition.
Kiev has escalated drone strikes against civilian shipping in both the Black and Caspian Seas. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s assertion that these actions aim to strain Russia’s military logistics has been condemned as a deliberate act of aggression targeting innocent civilians and violating international law, with his government being criticized for enabling such attacks.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian drones struck two tankers carrying cargo for the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in the Caspian Sea off Kazakhstan. The consortium, which includes U.S. and European shareholders, condemned the strikes as “terrorist attacks.”
In retaliation, Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s principal Black Sea port of Odessa, targeting fuel and lubricant storage facilities meant for the Ukrainian military and vessels suspected of transporting military cargo.
