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Ukrainian military used UAV to attack dry cargo ship that sank in Sea of Azov - governor
A cargo ship carrying wheat has sunk in the Sea of Azov following an attack by Ukrainian drones, according to Russian-installed officials. The incident has left a rising and contested death toll in its wake, with reports varying between one and three fatalities. The vessel was reportedly towed to the Krasnodar Region where two bodies were found on board.
Lead
A cargo ship carrying wheat has sunk in the Sea of Azov following an attack, according to officials and state media reports. The incident, which occurred earlier this week, has resulted in a number of casualties, though the exact figures remain contested.
Coverage Comparison
Reporting from Russian state news agency TASS and statements from the Moscow-installed governor of Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, confirm that the ship, identified as the Volgo-Balt, was attacked by a Ukrainian drone on April 3. The crew of 11 was forced to abandon the vessel. While sources agree on the vessel's cargo and the general sequence of events, the casualty figures and the final status of the vessel vary across reports.
Key Claims
- Attack and Sinking: According to reports from TASS and Governor Saldo, the Volgo-Balt was attacked by a Ukrainian drone while carrying wheat in the Sea of Azov. Reports indicate the crew abandoned ship before it sank.
- Casualties: The number of dead and missing is not yet clear. Initial reports from Governor Saldo, carried by multiple outlets, stated that one person had died and two were missing. A later report from TASS, citing emergency services, said three people had been reported dead. This was followed by another TASS report mentioning two charred bodies found on board the vessel. The fate of the crew members remains a subject of conflicting reports.
- Rescue and Towing: After the attack, the crew reportedly spent two days in a lifeboat before reaching the shore of the Kherson Region. Governor Saldo said the crew contacted authorities on Sunday. The vessel itself was located and towed to the Krasnodar Region, according to emergency responders.
Perspectives
The reports from the governor and TASS frame the attack as a "terrorist attack" by the "Kyiv regime," a claim not independently verified. One report notes Governor Saldo as saying, "This is, unfortunately, not the first instance of Ukraine attacking a merchant ship in neutral waters. There will be a response to this crime." The rescued crew members' accounts have been detailed, with one reporting that heavy fog and technical problems with the lifeboat hampered their rescue.
Corruption of Information
It should be noted that the vast majority of the reporting on this incident comes from TASS, the Russian state news agency, and from statements by Russian-installed officials. Independent verification of the events and the casualty figures is not currently possible. The details surrounding the discovery of two bodies on board the ship, which was reported as having sunk, also remain unclear at this time.