Estonian cargo ship sinks after “hits a mine” off the coast of Ukraine near Odessa
- Four crew members are missing and two are in a lifeboat after the explosion
- Authorities believe the cargo ship struck a mine in the Black Sea near Odessa
- Ukraine has accused Russia of using civilian ships as human shields
A cargo ship owned by Estonia was sunk off the coast of Ukraine after an explosion.
Helt is believed to have struck a mine and four crew members are still unknown.
Two others are in a lifeboat at sea after the blast near Odessa, according to Igor Ilves, managing director of the Tallinn-based manager of Vista Shipping Agency.
Estonia is a member of NATO, leading to fears that the sinking could provoke further conflict in Eastern Europe.
“The ship has finally sunk,” Ilves said. “Two of the crew are in a raft in the water, and four others are unknown. I don’t know where they are at the moment.
Images circulating on social media suggest showing the sinking of the Helt in the Black Sea by Ukraine (pictured)
A cargo ship owned by Estonia was sunk off the coast of Ukraine after an explosion (file image)
The 37-year-old Helt flew under the Panamanian flag, like many merchant ships that want to evade the strict maritime regulations of their own countries.
This comes after the Russian Black Sea Fleet was accused of using civilian ships, including the Helt, as a human shield in the invasion of Ukraine.
The military said the Russian navy had forced Helt to enter a Black Sea danger zone to cover the movement of its own warships.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine stated: “For the safety of civilian shipping, the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has closed shipping in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
“At the same time, the Russian Black Sea Fleet continues the tactics of the Russian ground forces, which are trying to hide behind the lives of civilians.”
This comes just a day after a cargo ship owned by Bangladesh was hit by a rocket or bomb in the Black Sea port of Olbia, killing one of its crew members.
A cargo ship owned by Bangladesh was hit by a rocket or bomb in the Black Sea port of Olbia, killing one of its crew members yesterday (pictured)
Bangladeshi-flagged Banglar Samridhi has been stranded in the port of Olbia since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.
“The ship was attacked and an engineer was killed,” Pidush Duta, executive director of Bangladesh Shipping Corp, told Reuters. “It was unclear whether it was a bomb or a missile or which side launched the attack. The other 28 crew members are unharmed, “he said, without elaborating.
Bangladeshi’s Bangladeshi-flagged Bangladeshi ship has been stranded in the port of Olbia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24 and was hit by a missile on Wednesday night, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
In the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, the Russian embassy said in a statement in English on its Facebook page that the circumstances surrounding the incident were “being established”.
“We express our deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased. “Russia is making every effort to ensure the safe departure of the Bangladeshi ship from port,” the statement said.
He was hit by a rocket on Wednesday night, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said on Thursday.
Videos on social media show that crew members want help after the ship was hit.
In a video, the ship’s second engineer said the ship was hit by a missile and one crew member was already dead.
“We have no power. The power supply to the emergency generator is working. We are on the verge of death. We are not saved yet. Please save us, “said the sailor.
In another video, another crew member named Asiful Islam Asif said, “Please save us.”
Dutta of Bangladesh Shipping Corp said he was familiar with the videos, declining to comment further.
Many shipping companies have stopped sailing to the affected Black Sea ports and other terminals in Ukraine, with travel insurance premiums rising in recent days.
At least three merchant ships have been hit by shells since the invasion.
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