Russia strikes cargo ship with Ukrainian wheat destined for Egypt in Black Sea

Editor’s note: The article has been updated to indicate that the ship was sailing through Romania’s exclusive economic zone at the time of the attack.
A Russian missile struck a cargo ship carrying Ukrainian wheat to Egypt through the Black Sea on Sept. 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
Romania’s Coast Guard later confirmed that the vessel was sailing through Romania’s exclusive economic zone, about 55 km from the Romanian port of Sfantu Gheorghe, at the time of the attack.
Kyiv was forced to set up a new export route in the Black Sea last year after Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea grain deal. Initially envisioned as a humanitarian corridor to allow the departure of ships stranded there since the start of the full-scale war, it has since grown into a full-blown trade route.
Traveling along the route, Ukrainian ships are regularly at risk of being attacked by Russia. Since the beginning of the all-out war, mines have also been drifting along the trade route, which also poses a risk to maritime transport.
The attack on the ship marked the first missile strike on a civilian vessel transporting grain through the Black Sea since the start of the full-scale invasion. Although some ships were previously damaged by Russia while moored in Ukrainian ports, Reuters reported.
“The internal stability and life of dozens of countries in different parts of the world depend on the normal and uninterrupted operation of our export food corridor,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukrainian food supplies are “critical” to the countries of Africa and the Middle East.
According to preliminary data, no one was killed in the attack.
Zelensky said that Ukraine is one of the key global contributors to food security and that the Ukrainian government will continue to do “everything possible” to protect Ukrainian ports and supply food to the global market.
“We are waiting for the world’s reaction. Wheat and food security should never be a target for missiles,” the president added.
Ukraine has exported over 64 million metric tons of goods to 46 countries since the temporary Black Sea corridor began operating, according to the Infrastructure Ministry.
This volume included 43.5 million metric tons of agricultural products exported through the Black Sea shipping route over the past year.