Reports from Ukraine confirm that a Russian missile strike hit the port city of Odesa, causing damage to both the port and a ship that was loading cargo. While no deaths have been reported at the port, four civilians in the city of Odesa were injured during the attack.
Oleh Kiper, the governor of the region, warned citizens about the possibility of an air strike earlier in the day. After the attack, he posted on Telegram, informing people about the strike. He mentioned that the debris of an Iskander-M missile was found at the site, which also caused damage to the port and nearby civilian buildings. Kiper urged residents to take air raid warnings seriously.
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Despite this, cargo ships are still using the Odesa region’s ports as part of Ukraine’s trade route for shipping goods. Kiper identified the damaged ship as one registered in Antigua. Sources, such as Reuters, believe the ship to be the Golden Lion, which was loading metal products when it was struck.
Tracking data shows that the Golden Lion, which is 6,315 dwt (deadweight tons), arrived in Odesa from Varna, Bulgaria, earlier in the day. Records indicate the ship is owned and managed by a company in Lithuania.
Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy Ministry previously reported that Russian attacks on Odesa have caused serious losses. In the past year alone, these strikes have resulted in $1.5 billion worth of destroyed equipment and goods, including grain and sunflower oil stored for shipping.
Despite the recent damage to the port and a missile strike on another ship last week, the shipping of goods continues. Over the past year, more than 2,500 ships have left Ukraine’s ports, transporting over 46 million tons of agricultural products and another 23 million tons of metal and mining materials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to exports. Speaking on September 19, he promised to expand Ukraine’s export capacity. He highlighted that Ukraine plays a key role in supplying food to countries around the world and will keep fulfilling this mission.
This marks the first anniversary of Ukraine’s shipping corridor, a route that has been vital for the country’s agricultural and metal exports during the ongoing conflict with Russia. The determination to keep shipping goods shows Ukraine’s resilience in the face of continued Russian attacks.