PUBLISHER: The Load Star (www.theloadstar.com)
Security consultancy Dryad Global has warned that commercial shipping has been targeted off the coast of Odessa, with a bulk carrier and bunker barge hit by Russian missiles, according to local reports.
Two incidents have been reported by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) involving vessels situated approximately 23nm south-east of Odessa.
The company says details remain unclear, however casualties are being reported in at least one incident.
According to Dryad Global, the latest incidents follow an attack yesterday involving Marshall Islands-flagged merchant vessel Yasa Jupiter which was struck by a Russian missile about 50nm south of Odessa.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that at 12.55pm local time, “At anchorage N358 of Yuzhny Port, [20km east of Odessa] a missile hit the stern of the Panama flagged bulk carrier Namura Queen. The tugboat P&O Star is understood to be alongside and assisted in the rescue. Dryad Global can confirm that two P&O vessels were operating in the vicinity of the Namura Queen at the time of the alleged incident.”