Ukrainian ship explodes at the mouth of the Danube

A Ukrainian hydrographic vessel blowed up on Thursday at the mouth of the Danube, without registering any casualties, the Southern Operational Command of the Ukrainian defense forces announced on Friday morning, quoted by the Unian news agency.

“As a result of an explosion upon impact with an unknown explosive device in the area of ​​the Bâstroe mouths (canal) from the Danube, a small Ukrainian hydrographic maritime vessel was left with a hole in the bow, below the waterline“, says a statement from the Southern Command.

The crew took a series of measures to save the ship from sinking, and repair work is currently taking place on the boat, the quoted source said. No casualties were recorded.

According to the portal Dumskaia from Odessa, the hydrographic ship Shliahovik, belonging to an institution subordinate to the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure, was involved in the incident.

The expulsion of Russian forces from Serpent Island at the end of June opened the way for Ukraine to the ports of Ismail, Reni and Ust-Dunaisk, all located in the Odessa region, Unian notes. Ukraine, according to the cited press agency, thus obtained the opportunity to transport its grains not only through the Romanian Sulina canal, by rail or by car, but also through the Bâstroe canal that connects the Danube and the Black Sea.

On July 28, in the small resort town of Koblevo in the Nikolaev region, two people who were swimming lost their lives due to a mine placed in the shore area. Ukraine has placed mines along its Black Sea coast, particularly around its ports, to deter Russian ships from approaching the shore and thus prevent any sort of landing of Russian troops, particularly in Odessa.