Russian attacks on Ukraine kill three, injure fourteen and damage civilian cargo ships

Russian forces carried out night‑time air strikes across Ukraine, killing three people and wounding fourteen, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service. The attacks hit the Black Sea port infrastructure and a civilian vessel flying the flag of Guinea‑Bissau, the MERA QUEEN, which suffered damage and lost a Ukrainian crew member.

In a related incident, the Panama‑flagged bulk carrier M/V Lady Zehma was struck by a drone and a missile near Odessa on 21 July 2026. The ship, 172.9 m long with a crew of 22 (19 Azerbaijani, 1 Turkish, 1 Ukrainian, 1 Egyptian), sustained structural damage but no injuries. After the attacks it successfully navigated the Istanbul Bosphorus and continued its voyage without further incident. Ukrainian air defenses reported shooting down 66 hostile drones during the broader wave of attacks.