The Ukrainian Navy rescued 17 Filipino seafarers after a Russian strike disabled the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged dry cargo ship VENTURO off the coast of Ukraine's Odesa region. One seafarer was killed, and three others were injured and transported to hospital.
The strike damaged the vessel and disabled its propulsion system, leaving it stranded at sea. Naval crews set out to reach the drifting ship while Russian attacks on the surrounding coastline continued. All 17 survivors were brought ashore safely.
VENTURO is a Supramax bulk carrier registered under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, with a deadweight capacity of up to 57,000 tonnes. The vessel operates between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean and was en route from the Bulgarian port of Varna to Sulina, at the mouth of the Danube River in Romania, at the time of the attack.
Regional authorities described the strike as part of a coordinated attack on port infrastructure along Ukraine's Black Sea coast. The assault also damaged buildings, storage tanks, and warehouses in the area.
As first responders rushed to the scene, Russian forces launched a second strike that destroyed specialised rescue equipment. The responders had taken cover before the follow-up hit and escaped injury.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed it had struck VENTURO, characterising the attack as a drone strike and claiming the vessels in the area were transporting military cargo. That claim has not been independently verified. Ukrainian officials have condemned the strike as an attack on civilian shipping, and Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed which weapon was used.
The attack comes amid an escalating pattern of strikes on Ukrainian maritime infrastructure, following Ukrainian attacks on tankers belonging to Russia's shadow fleet in the Azov and Black Seas.
Filipino nationals, who make up a large share of the global merchant fleet, face significant risk in the Black Sea corridor and have appeared on casualty lists from multiple incidents since attacks on commercial vessels resumed. Two of four Filipino sailors injured when the tanker M/V Blue was struck while transiting the Black Sea were repatriated to Manila last week.
The situation is growing increasingly difficult for ship owners and operators trading into Danube and Ukrainian ports. VENTURO, having lost propulsion, is unable to leave the area under its own power. The subsequent strike on rescue equipment in Odesa signals that even the response phase now carries risks comparable to the initial attack.
The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers has been facilitating repatriation and welfare assistance for seafarers affected by attacks in the Black Sea.
