Ukraine sinks FESCO boxship

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Ukraine has widened its campaign against Russia-linked commercial shipping, sinking a FESCO containership, striking a Greek-owned tanker and hitting three refineries nearly 1,600 km inside Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck the 962 teu, Russian-flagged Yanina, a 2005-built vessel operated by FESCO, overnight on July 31 and August 1. Two uncrewed surface vessels reportedly hit the ship around 130 nautical miles from Novorossiysk. The Yanina subsequently sank, with all 17 crewmembers rescued. Sixteen were picked up by the Turkish-flagged Delphinus, while another seafarer was evacuated by Russian naval aviation. FESCO is controlled by Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, and is subject to western sanctions over its links to Moscow’s war effort. Rosatom chief executive Alexey Likhachev described the attack as piracy and said the ship had been carrying frozen food and construction materials. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was targeting facilities that sustain Russia’s military campaign. Ukraine also released footage of a sea-drone strike against the 105,600 dwt Bourda, a 2006-built tanker owned by Greece’s IMS. Details of damage and possible casualties were not immediately available. The maritime attacks formed part of a much wider overnight operation. Ukraine said its long-range drones struck the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim, Bashneft-Novoil and Bashneft-UNPZ refineries at Ufa in Bashkortostan, around 1,600 km from the Ukrainian border. The three plants form one of Russia’s largest refining clusters, with combined annual capacity exceeding 23m tonnes. Ukraine said they supplied aviation fuel, diesel and lubricants to the Russian military. Russia has meanwhile continued attacking Ukrainian maritime logistics. Moscow’s defence ministry said on Sunday that its forces struck port infrastructure and two vessels allegedly carrying military cargo at Mykolaiv, as well as another ship transporting military supplies in the Black Sea. The claims have not been independently verified, and the vessels were not identified. The exchanges show both sides increasingly treating commercial vessels, ports, refineries and export infrastructure as elements of their opponent’s wartime logistics network. Follow Us Sam Chambers Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune. Newsletter DAILY SPLASH NEWSLETTER Subscribe now for FREE daily news updates. Subscribe Read Next August 3, 2026 Ditas doubles down on suezmaxes with Samsung brace August 3, 2026 Costamare Bulkers offloads its oldest ship August 3, 2026 BP exit puts fresh pressure on UK over Jackdaw and Rosebank August 3, 2026 Navigator Amon seals financing for ammonia carrier newbuilds August 3, 2026 North Star secures $370m to fuel offshore wind fleet growth