Russia Strikes Ukrainian Rescue Boats Operating in Black Sea Humanitarian Corridor

Two Ukrainian search-and-rescue vessels were damaged and several crew members injured after a Russian attack during a humanitarian mission in the Black Sea.

According to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba on June 6, Russian forces struck two boats belonging to Ukraine’s Maritime Search and Rescue Service while they were operating within Ukraine’s maritime corridor in the Black Sea. Ukrainian Navy vessels were subsequently deployed to evacuate the wounded.

“Russia attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels, once again grossly violating the norms of international humanitarian law,” Kuleba said. “The enemy struck two boats of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service that were performing a humanitarian mission within the Ukrainian maritime corridor. Unfortunately, there are casualties. Evacuation by Ukrainian Navy boats is ongoing.”

According to photographs published by Kuleba, at least one of the vessels sustained visible damage. Ukrainian authorities have not disclosed the exact number of injured personnel, though Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said several people were wounded, including individuals with moderate injuries.

Speaking to Suspilne on June 7, Pletenchuk said the boats were carrying out search-and-rescue functions protected under international conventions. He stated that Russian drone operators attacked the vessels despite their protected status under international humanitarian law.

“Search and rescue services are generally under international protection, under the protection of international conventions. Nevertheless, this did not stop Russian drone operators who carried out strikes within our territorial waters,” Pletenchuk said.

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Kuleba said the attack violated Article 27 of the Second Geneva Convention of 1949, which provides protections for vessels operated by states or officially recognized rescue organizations exclusively engaged in search-and-rescue operations and assistance at sea.

The vessels were operating within Ukraine’s maritime corridor, a shipping route established after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023. The corridor has since become a key route for commercial maritime traffic to and from Ukrainian ports despite ongoing security threats in the region.

Earlier, Russia attacked the Turkish-owned cargo vessel ANT after it departed a port in Ukraine’s Odesa region. According to Ukraine’s Navy, a drone strike hit the ship’s superstructure, causing a fire and injuring two crew members, who were later evacuated by Ukrainian naval and rescue service boats. The vessel, sailing under the flag of Vanuatu, was en route to Türkiye when it was struck.

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