Russia ‘attacks Chinese ship’ heading for Ukraine

 A Russian drone attacked the Chinese-owned cargo ship KSL DEYANG, flying under the Marshall Islands flag, off the coast of Ukraine early on Monday.

The vessel, which was empty and en route to Ukraine's Pivdennyi port in the Odesa region to load iron ore concentrate, sustained no significant damage, and its crew extinguished a fire caused by the strike.

This incident, involving a Chinese-owned vessel, has the potential to strain relations with Beijing, a crucial ally for Moscow.

The attack follows a period of intense Ukrainian drone activity, with Russia's defence minister reporting 3,124 Ukrainian drones intercepted and destroyed in the past week.

Recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia included major incidents on 13 May and 17 May, and an overnight attack that killed four people and injured a dozen, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as 'entirely justified'.