Russian missile strikes cargo ship carrying grain in Black Sea
Source: Ukraine’s Navy
Russian forces struck a civilian vessel in the Black Sea on the night of September 12. The Ukrainian Navy reports that the attack, which occurred at 11:03 pm, involved cruise missiles—likely the Kh-22—launched from Russian Tu-22 aircraft. The bulk carrier AYA, flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was hit while leaving Ukrainian territorial waters. It was carrying grain from Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port to Egypt.
The photos that later emereged on social media show the ship took serious damage.
In its statement on the attack, the Ukrainian Navy has blasted Moscow for continuing to flout the rules of war and jeopardize global food security.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also weighed in, confirming that the Russian missile hit the civilian ship shortly after it left Ukrainian waters.
“Our food supply to Africa and the Middle East is critical,” Zelensky stressed, highlighting Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to protect its ports and ensure grain reaches the global market. “This is a top priority for us—protecting lives and securing food supplies—and it should be a top priority for the world, too.”
Zelensky called for swift international action, emphasizing that food security and wheat must never become targets in this brutal conflict.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.