Attacks on commercial vessels intensified across the Black Sea over the weekend, with a Russian missile strike killing 10 people aboard a corn-carrying ship near Ukraine’s Odesa and Ukrainian drones targeting oil tankers at a major export terminal near Russia’s Novorossiysk.

The incidents highlight a widening maritime confrontation as Moscow and Kyiv increasingly target ships, ports and energy infrastructure supporting each other’s economies and war efforts.

Ten killed aboard the Golden Leo

Ukrainian officials said Russia struck the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship carrying corn, with three cruise missiles on Sunday.

The attack caused a fire aboard the vessel, which was crewed by Indian and Syrian nationals. Nine crew members and a Ukrainian maritime pilot were killed, while eight of the ship’s 17 crew members were rescued during an overnight search operation.

A Reuters journalist witnessed heavy smoke rising from the vessel off Odesa and confirmed that it was the Golden Leo. The ship is owned by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group.

Moscow did not immediately comment publicly on the attack.

A separate Russian strike on Odesa on Monday killed three people and injured three others, according to the city’s military administration. Infrastructure facilities were also damaged.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted fuel storage tanks at Odesa’s port overnight, according to the Interfax news agency.

Russian attacks have killed 28 people in the Odesa region since the beginning of July, the regional governor said.

Ukrainian drone hits tanker near Novorossiysk

Meanwhile, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium suspended oil-loading operations after a Ukrainian drone struck the tanker Nelsa at its Black Sea terminal near Novorossiysk.

The tanker was hit on its starboard side while loading at one of the terminal’s offshore moorings. A fire broke out on and below deck but was later extinguished by the crew and emergency services.

The consortium said the vessel remained afloat and that no oil spill occurred. Twenty members of its 22-person international crew were evacuated, while the captain and chief officer remained aboard.

Loading operations had only recently resumed following drone attacks against two other tankers on Sunday before being suspended again after the strike on the Nelsa.

The terminal handles approximately 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports and nearly 2% of global crude supplies. Its 1,510-kilometre pipeline transports oil from Kazakhstan’s Caspian fields to the Russian Black Sea coast and also carries some Russian crude.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to destabilise global oil markets through attacks on tankers serving the terminal.Reuters reported that the consortium’s shareholders include US energy companies Chevron and ExxonMobil.

Growing threat to global shipping

Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks against ships and port infrastructure across the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in recent weeks.

Ukraine has targeted Russian energy infrastructure and oil tankers, while Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian deepwater ports and foreign cargo vessels.

The renewed maritime violence threatens international grain and energy supplies. Ukraine has lost about a third of its Black Sea grain-export capacity because of Russian missile and drone attacks, while Ukrainian strikes have forced Russia to restrict shipping through the Sea of Azov.