Ukraine says ship sinks in Mariupol port after Russian attack

Ukrainian officials confirmed on Tuesday that a Dominican-flagged ship had begun to sink in the port of Maripol (southeast) by Russian forces without Moscow commenting on the matter.

The Ukrainian border guard pointed out in a message on his account on the social network Facebook that “the enemy attacked a civilian ship with the flag of the Dominican Republic” and “the impact caused a fire in the engine room”.

Similarly, he pointed out that one person was injured in the incident and that the ship’s captain had given a distress signal. “Due to the hole (created by the impact), the ship began to sink, while the fire was expanding,” he said.

“The Marine Guard quickly assisted the wounded and evacuated the crew safely,” the Border Patrol said. “The fire is still active on the sinking ship. Rescue operations will not be possible due to continued firing,” he concluded.

Authorities in the Donetsk People’s Republic have confirmed that the ship caught fire, according to the German news agency DPA. Thus, they insist that kyiv forces were destroying property in the port before they were defeated in Mariupol.