Russian Ballistic Missile Strike Damages Two Ships at Port of Odesa

Damage from a previous Russian strike aboard the Paresa, September 2024 (Ukrainian Ministry of Development)

Published Oct 14, 2024 1:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

On Monday, another Russian missile attack hit the Black Sea port of Odesa, damaging two merchant ships, including one that had already been hit in an earlier attack. The strike brings the tally of foreign vessels that have been damaged in the last few weeks to a total of four ships. 

"Russian terrorists attacked Odesa with a ballistic missile. One person was killed and eight wounded," said Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration. "The victims are in the hospital, and two of them are in serious condition."

Two civilian vessels were damaged in the latest attack - the Belize-flagged bulker NS Moon and the Palau-flagged Optima. Just last week, Optima was damaged in a previous Russian ballistic missile strike.

Kiper reported that there was also damage to port infrastructure, including a grain storage facility. Images and video from the scene show additional damage to a port administrative building, including blown-out windows. 

Insurers have warned that the new, intensified wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine's grain trade are likely to raise war risk rates again. An excessive increase in rates could make Ukraine's seaborne food exports uneconomical, and the risk of business disruption and seafarer safety from Russian attacks could also deter vessel operators from serving the route. 

Kiper has previously warned that the Odesa port region - which includes multiple nearby port complexes - is too large to successfully defend against Russian ballistic missile strikes. 

The Russian military recently gained access to Iran's deep inventory of ballistic missiles, giving it flexibility to strike a broader range of civilian and military targets. The government in Tehran has agreed to export Fath-360 (BM-120) missiles for Russian use in the war on Ukraine, and the U.S. government has confirmed that the Iranian military is shipping these short-range munitions to Russia via sea and air. On Monday, the EU sanctioned seven organizations - including Iran Air, Saha Airlines and Mahan Air - for transporting ballistic missiles to Russia. Newly-installed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denies any weapons transfers have taken place since he took over leadership in August.