Port under attack! 4 crew members of a cargo ship killed!
Release time: March 14, 2025
According to the latest news from foreign media, on March 12, the Ukrainian authorities stated that a Russian missile strike on Tuesday damaged a cargo ship in the Black Sea port of Odessa, killing four crew members.
It is reported that the attack occurred at around 20:30 on the night of the 11th. The ship caught fire after being hit by a missile in the port of Odessa. An air raid siren was declared in Odessa, followed by a powerful explosion. The Ukrainian Air Force Command confirmed that the explosion was caused by a ballistic missile attack.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine said that a ballistic missile hit the bulk carrier "MJ Pinar," which was loading wheat for Algeria, killing four people and injuring two. "Russia is attacking Ukraine's infrastructure, including ports, which are involved in ensuring global food security."
The "MJ Pinar" is a bulk carrier. At the time of the attack, there were 12 crew members on board, and the ship was loading 30,000 tons of wheat for export.
The missile hit a corner of the berth wall, and the air strike also sparked a fire on the ship. In addition, another ship was also damaged, but no further details were provided. Four crew members were killed, and one crew member was injured. A port worker on the same ship was also injured in the incident.
Another statement said that the ship had been loading goods at the terminal in the port of Odessa, and the terminal infrastructure was also damaged. The terminal workers were safe, and the deceased were crew members.
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, said that he was deeply grieved by the loss of lives and expressed his condolences to the families of the crew members who were killed and injured in the attack.
"Seafarers ensure the continuous flow of essential goods that sustain communities around the world. They must never be targeted in conflicts beyond their control. We must reaffirm our collective commitment to their safety and well-being," he added.
It is also understood that many liner giants such as MSC, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and CMA have successively resumed their operations in Ukraine since June last year. On March 12, US President Donald Trump said that he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept the proposal for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, Trump remained evasive on the issue of whether to put pressure on Putin.
Previously, on March 1, Russia launched an attack on the port of Odessa, causing damage to the port infrastructure and damaging two cargo ships, including the MSC container ship "MSC Levante F". And as frequent attacks have occurred recently, the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have reached an impasse and stalled.
Here, we also remind cargo owners and freight forwarders who have businesses related to Russia and Ukraine to pay attention to risk control in the near future.