Ukrainian officials have reported that four people were killed and two others suffered injuries after a Russian missile struck a cargo ship at Ukraine's Port of Odesa on Tuesday, March 11.
Officials said that the Barbados-registered bulk carrier MJ Pinar was loading wheat cargo totalling 30,000 tonnes for export when it was hit by a ballistic missile shortly after 20:00 local time on Tuesday.
The strike ignited a fire and an explosion, which ended up killing four of the ship's crew and injuring two other individuals.
The four fatalities have been identified as one Ukrainian and three Syrian nationals. The two who suffered injuries included a fifth crewmember and a port employee who was also on board the vessel when the attack occurred.
The adjacent pier and a nearby grain gallery also sustained damage from the strike.
Ukrainian officials said that the Port of Odesa has repeatedly been targeted by Russian forces since the start of the ongoing conflict.
An attack on the port on October 7, 2024 left one person dead while a strike on March 1, 2025 damaged two foreign-flagged vessels and injured two people.