Russian drones struck two civilian cargo ships in the Black Sea late Thursday, killing one crew member and injuring five others, Ukrainian officials said on Friday, in what Kyiv described as another attack on international shipping routes and global trade. The strikes occurred amid continued Russian attacks across Ukraine, including missile and drone assaults that caused civilian casualties in multiple regions. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said one of the drones hit a vessel sailing under the Panamanian flag. The attack killed one crew member and wounded two others on board.

A second civilian ship, registered under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was also struck, leaving three people injured. The identities and nationalities of the victims were not immediately disclosed. Officials said the damage did not prevent either vessel from continuing its voyage, and both ships resumed their journeys after the incidents. Condemning the attacks, Kuleba said the strikes demonstrated what he called Russia's ongoing campaign against freedom of navigation and international commerce.

He argued that attacks on merchant vessels threaten not only Ukraine's economy but also broader global food security, as the Black Sea remains a critical route for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. Since the beginning of the war, disruptions to shipping in the region have repeatedly raised concerns about the stability of global grain supplies and international trade. The maritime strikes were part of a wider wave of attacks reported across Ukraine on Friday. In the city of Pavlograd in the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, an eight-year-old girl was killed during a Russian attack, according to regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha.

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Local authorities said emergency services responded to the scene and were assessing the extent of the damage. The death highlighted the continuing impact of the conflict on civilians as the war approaches its fourth year. In Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region, the State Emergency Service reported that ten people were wounded in separate attacks, including four children. Rescue workers and medical teams were deployed to affected areas, while officials urged residents to remain alert for further air raid warnings. The attacks added to a growing list of civilian casualties reported by Ukrainian authorities in recent months as both sides continue military operations along an extensive frontline.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports, shipping infrastructure and vessels since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of waging a campaign aimed at damaging the country's economy and limiting its ability to export goods through the Black Sea. Moscow, however, denies deliberately targeting civilians and has maintained that military objectives are the focus of its operations. Russian authorities have also warned that ships traveling to Ukrainian ports could be considered potential carriers of military cargo, a position that has heightened concerns among shipping companies and international observers about the safety of navigation in one of the world's most strategically important maritime corridors.

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