Russian Shahed drones strike three foreign ships, injuring crew of Turkish vessel

A Vanuatu-flagged vessel owned by a Turkish company was en route to a port in Odesa Oblast when a fire broke out in its superstructure following a strike.

The fire was quickly extinguished, and injured crew members were taken to hospital, the Ukrainian Navy said.

Updated at 8:47 a.m.: Overnight, Russian forces launched drone strikes against three foreign merchant ships travelling through the maritime corridor. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba reported. He added that two crew members on a Vanuatu-flagged ship sustained minor injuries.

Ukraine’s air force detected several groups of UAVs heading toward Odesa Oblast overnight. Izmail Regional Administration reported that Russian forces were attacking the region, and added that power lines were damaged.

The Ukrainian Navy reported on May 18 that Russian forces struck a Chinese-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea.