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Ukrainian drones sank a Russian-owned container ship in the Black Sea early Saturday, forcing its 17-member crew to abandon the vessel, according to Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear power operator, which owns the ship's operating company.
Rosatom said the cargo vessel Yanina, operated by its shipping subsidiary FESCO, was struck and sank after an attack by Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea, approximately 130 miles (210 kilometers) from the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
According to Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev, the drones struck the vessel at around 10 p.m. Moscow time. Rosatom said the ship was carrying civilian cargo in international waters, including frozen food and construction and finishing materials.
"This was an entirely ordinary peaceful container ship, sailing in international waters and carrying civilian goods, from frozen food to construction and finishing materials. Such an attack cannot be interpreted as anything other than piracy and robbery at sea," Likhachev said, according to Rosatom's statement.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported there was no immediate indication the vessel was involved in activities related to Rosatom's nuclear operations or carrying nuclear material.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on X that the Ukrainian forces targeted the Russian ship.
"Grateful to Ukrainian warriors who are bringing the war back to Russia and responding to its attacks against life. Our targets are consistently defined facilities that sustain the war effort. Middle strikes were carried out overnight, with successful hits in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. A sanctioned Russian container ship, Yanina, sailing under the Russian flag and with a capacity of more than 100,000 tons, was also struck. Thanks to the precision of our Defense Forces, it was sent to the bottom," he said.
Rosatom said the crew abandoned ship in an organized, orderly manner once it became clear the vessel was sinking, and that all 17 crew members were rescued and reported in satisfactory condition.
Likhachev said in a statement, "I want to note the coordinated actions of the crew, who organized and calmly left the vessel once it became clear the ship was sinking. All 17 crew members were rescued and are in satisfactory condition."
Likhachev said the last crew member was found roughly an hour before his statement and brought ashore with the help of Black Sea Fleet naval aviation, thanking the helicopter crews involved.
He separately thanked the international crew of the vessel Delphinus, led by a captain who is an Egyptian national, saying that despite the danger posed by drones, the Delphinus's crew moved toward the wreck site overnight and rescued 16 of the 17 crew members.
"The world is changing, but the concept of 'maritime brotherhood' remains an eternal value," Likhachev said.
Ukraine has targeted Russian-flagged vessels in the Black Sea throughout the nearly four-and-a-half-year war and has accused Russia of using the waterway to transport sanctioned goods, including oil.
Russia has separately launched multiple strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure and vessels approaching Ukrainian ports since the war began, attacks Kyiv has described as war crimes.
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