A Malta-flagged ship was involved in a missile attack in the Black Sea earlier today, sustaining minor damage, leading the Maltese government to condemn such incidents and adding it was “closely monitoring the situation”.
A spokesman for the Transport Ministry said the Maltese-flagged container ship was slightly damaged by shrapnel after the Black Sea port infrastructure was targeted in a missile attack.
The ship is still seaworthy but a seafarer was injured in the incident, he added.
This is the second such incident involving Malta-flagged vessels in the Black Sea. Earlier this week, a Greek-owned Kazakh-operated oil tanker bearing the Maltese registration flag suffered a drone attack near Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar region off the Black Sea coast. Russia blamed Ukraine for that incident.
Russia’s foreign ministry claimed the Matilda was hit by two Ukrainian strike Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) on January 13.
Details of Friday’s attack are still scant with the Transport Ministry spokesman pointing out that the attack was on the port infrastructure and not on the ship directly.
In a statement, the Transport Ministry condemned the attacks on commercial shipping “which pose a serious threat to the safety of civilian seafarers, international navigation and the free flow of legitimate global trade”.
“While information continues to be gathered, the safety of all seafarers carrying out their duties remains paramount,” the ministry said.
“Malta firmly upholds the principles of freedom of navigation and strict adherence to international law as cornerstones of its maritime policy. The administration notes that the risks faced by commercial vessels stem from operating within active conflict zones. Ships trading in such regions, even when transporting essential goods in full compliance with international sanctions, continue to face complex operational challenges.”
Greece has issued a security advisory to its shipping fleet following the Black Sea drone attacks on commercial oil tankers urging operators to implement enhanced safety protocols as tensions in the region increase, highlighting potential risks to vessels navigating near Russian ports.
“Malta remains committed to working with international partners to promote maritime safety, protect seafarers and uphold the stability and integrity of global shipping,” Malta’s transport ministry said.