Russian drone strikes Chinese cargo ship in Black Sea

Published May 18th, 2026 - 07:31 GMT
Chinese cargo ship
This photo released by the Japan Coast Guard on October 21, 2012 shows smoke rising from Chinese cargo ship Ming Yang at sea, around 150 kilometers southeast of Okinawa. Photo by HO / JAPAN COAST GUARD / AFP

ALBAWABA - A Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea was struck by a Russian drone overnight, Ukraine announced Monday.

"Drones struck Odesa ... and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China. The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

A spokesman for Ukraine's navy told AFP that none of the crew was injured and the vessel continued on its journey.

It is worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to depart from Moscow to Beijing to meet his counterpart, Xi Jinping. Putin is set to be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Regarding the Russian president's visit, Xi said bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Beijing had "continuously deepened and solidified".

Putin's trip to Beijing this week comes four days after Donald Trump's departure from China after a high-stakes summit, along with other American officials.