Civilian ship damaged after hitting unidentified explosive device in Black Sea near Odesa
A civilian ship has been damaged after hitting an unidentified explosive device in the Black Sea, Suspilne reported on Aug. 31.
The vessel, a cargo ship named NS Pride flying the Belize flag, was near the Sea Port of Chornomorsk, close to Odesa, when it struck an unidentified explosive device.
It was not carrying any cargo at the time of the explosion. The ship remains afloat, with no casualties among the crew and no water ingress into the hull.
"Unfortunately, as a result of the actions of the Russian occupiers, a large number of explosive objects remain in the sea. And it is impossible to predict 100% (such situations) in the sea, where there is constant movement," a Ukrainian Navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, told Suspilne.
"We are doing everything necessary to protect civilian vessels from such dangers," he added.
It is reported that part of a Russian Shahed drone shot down previously detonated under the ship. Local Telegram channels suggested that the mines drifting in the sea could be the cause.
The Black Sea has been a major front of the full-scale war, where Ukraine has had to significantly cut down its exports via its pre-war main trade route due to Russian threats and attacks against civilian port infrastructure.
