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Russian drone attack on Tanzania-flagged vessel kills captain, injures 3 crew members, Ukraine says

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Russian drone attack on Tanzania-flagged vessel kills captain, injures 3 crew members, Ukraine says
The national flag of the United Republic of Tanzania, fluttering in the wind on a flagpole in Saint Petersburg. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A Russian drone attacked a Tanzania-flagged civilian vessel in the Black Sea en route to a Ukrainian port on Sept. 17, killing the ship's captain and injuring three crew members, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said.

The ministry did not specify which Ukrainian port the vessel was heading to. Information on the ship's condition was still being clarified.

Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports, port infrastructure, and civilian commercial vessels in the Black Sea, posing a threat to international shipping and logistics routes.

The ministry called for an international response and coordinated measures to strengthen the protection of civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

The report comes as attacks by Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea intensified over the spring and summer.

In July, Ukraine launched Operation Molochka, a campaign targeting Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in an effort to tighten the noose around Russian-occupied Crimea.

Turkey called on Moscow and Kyiv in August to impose a moratorium on attacks against vessels, following a series of strikes in the region that involved Turkish-flagged ships.

While Kyiv has said it is ready to accept a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea, Moscow has shown no interest in de-escalating the situation.

Ukraine established its own Black Sea maritime corridor in August 2023, after Russia withdrew from a U.N.- and Turkey-brokered grain deal. Since then Russia has regularly targeted ports and civilian shipping.

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