- An Estonian-owned cargo ship has been sunk off the coast of Ukraine after hitting a mine.
- I don’t know where they are at the moment.
- The military said the Russian Navy forced the Helt to enter a dangerous zone of the Black Sea to cover the movement of its own warships.
After hitting a mine off the coast of Ukraine, an Estonian-owned cargo ship sank. Following the explosion in Odessa, four crew members are still missing, and two are in a life raft at sea as reported by Daily Mail.
Human shields
Igor Ilves, managing director of Tallinn-based manager Vista Shipping Agency, said the ship likely struck a mine, adding: ‘The vessel has finally sunk.
Two of the crew are in a raft on the water and four others are missing.
I don’t know where they are at the moment.’
The 37-year-old Helt was flying under the Panamanian flag, like many merchant ships who wish to avoid their own countries’ strict marine regulations.
It comes after the Russian Black Sea Fleet was accused of using civilian vessels including the Helt as human shields in the invasion of Ukraine.
Closed investigation
Ukraine’s armed forces said: ‘For the safety of civil navigation, the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine closed navigation in the north-western part of the Black Sea.’
‘At the same time, the Russian Black Sea Fleet continues the tactics of Russian ground forces trying to hide behind civilian lives.’
It comes just a day after a Bangladeshi-owned cargo ship was struck by a missile or bomb in the Black Sea port of Olvia, killing one of its crew members.
It was not clear whether it was a bomb or missile or which side launched the attack.
‘The other 28 crewmen are unharmed,’ he said, without providing further details.
Safe departure
The Bangladesh-flagged Banglar Samriddhi had been stuck in the port of Olvia since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, and was hit by a missile on Wednesday evening, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said on Thursday.
‘We express deep condolences to the near and dear ones of the deceased.
The Russian side bends every effort to ensure the safe departure of the Bangladeshi ship from the port,’ it said.
Videos on social media showed crew members asking for help after the ship was hit.
In one video, the vessel’s second engineer said the ship had been hit by a rocket with one crewmate already dead.
Suspended sailings
The emergency generator power supply is running.
In another video, another crew member called Asiful Islam Asif said: ‘Please rescue us.’
Bangladesh Shipping Corp’s Dutta said he was aware of the videos, declining further comment.
Many shipping companies have suspended sailings to affected Black Sea ports and other terminals in Ukraine, with insurance premiums for voyages soaring in recent days.
At least three commercial ships have been hit by projectiles since the invasion was launched.
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Source: Daily Mail
