(Bloomberg) -- A bulker loaded with Ukrainian grain for export was damaged during a Russian missile barrage in Odesa region over the weekend, according to the Infrastructure Ministry in Kyiv.
The Paresa, which sails under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, had 6,000 tons of corn on board and was near one of docks at the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi when it was struck, the ministry said in a statement on its website. The ship’s 15 crew members — citizens of Egypt and Syria — were unharmed.
The ministry published pictures showing broken glass in the wheelhouse and metal debris near loaded grain. Greece-based AK shipping, the owner of the Paresa, confirmed that the vessel had come under Russian attack. It had sailed into the port with empty holds with the specific purpose of loading grain, the firm said in an emailed statement.
Russia frequently targets Ukrainian grain export infrastructure on the Black Sea and on the Danube, a key source of revenue for the country. While Kyiv’s export volumes have remained resilient, the attacks have pushed traders to use more expensive alternative routes.
As of Monday afternoon, Pivdennyi port operated as normal, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, told Bloomberg.
Last month, a Russian missile hit an Egypt-bound grain ship in neutral waters just outside Ukraine.
--With assistance from Áine Quinn.
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