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Russian Iskander-M Missile Damages Grain Ship with 6,000 Tons of Corn at Ukraine's Port of Pivdennyi

Oct 7, 2024, 06:30 AM

On October 6, a Russian Iskander-M missile strike damaged the Paresa, a civilian cargo ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, at the port of Pivdennyi (also known as Yuzhny) in Ukraine's Odesa region. According to Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry and Minister Oleksii Kuleba, the vessel was loaded with 6,000 tons of Ukrainian corn for export. The attack damaged the ship and its cargo, but no crew members were injured. The missile strike also caused a fire in a 100-square-meter warehouse due to falling debris, though no casualties were reported. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the Iskander-M missile destroyed a Ukrainian ship unloading ammunition and Western military equipment at the port, releasing footage purportedly showing the vessel's destruction. Ukrainian officials assert that the targeted vessel was a civilian grain carrier and that Russia's attack on port infrastructure is part of a continued assault on Ukraine's agricultural exports.