Rosatom says its civilian vessel sank in Black Sea after Ukrainian drone attack, all crew survived

MOSCOW, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Two Ukrainian drones hit and sank a civilian vessel owned by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom sailing in the Black Sea overnight, the company’s head, Alexei Likhachev, said in a statement on Saturday.

All 17 crew members survived the attack on the ship, which was transporting goods such as frozen food and construction materials, Likhachev added.

“Such an attack can only be described as piracy and maritime robbery,” he said.

Writing on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the strike.

“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.

Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks in recent weeks on ships that they say are aiding the other side’s war effort.

(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Kirsten Donovan)