Russian strike hits Antigua and Barbuda-flagged cargo ship in Black Sea, captain killed

Antigua and Barbuda: The captain of a commercial cargo vessel was killed when Russian forces struck the ship overnight on September 23, 2026, near the Greater Odesa port complex in the Black Sea, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority and Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper.

The vessel, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, caught fire after the strike. Heavy smoke and high temperatures meant rescuers could not immediately recover the captain's body from the ship, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard Service.

🇺🇦🛳️ Coast Guard of the State Border Service of Ukraine rescued the crew of a civilian vessel after being hit by a Russian UAV

There were 16 crew members on board. The captain died, the vessel suffered significant damage and caught fire. pic.twitter.com/onWLOrwJNQ

— MAKS 26 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) September 23, 2026

The remaining 15 crew members were evacuated by the Maritime Guard and taken to a safe port, where they underwent medical checks.

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority described the strike as a deliberate act targeting civilian shipping. It called on the international community to properly recognise and respond to Russia's continued targeting of merchant vessels and the sailors who operate them.

The attack came during a wider overnight barrage on southern Ukraine. Air raid alerts were issued across the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Podilskyi, Berezivskyi, Odesa, and Izmail districts between the night of September 22 and the morning of September 23, with Ukraine's Air Force also warning of jet-powered drones approaching Odesa and Vilkove.

The incident has raised wider concerns among the people across social media as a user commented, “This is def another terrorist act by the Russian against civilian shipping. This time, the Russian attack claim life of a Ukrain sailor.”

It is the second time in three months that a vessel flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda has come under Russian attack in the Black Sea. On July 18, 2026, a similar strike on an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged merchant ship killed one person and injured three others.

Ukrainian officials say Russia has destroyed more than 1,000 port infrastructure facilities and attacked over 230 civilian vessels since the start of the full-scale invasion.