Russian cruise missiles hit Turkish grain ship in Black Sea, killing 5 crew
The Ukrainian Navy says three cruise missiles struck the Golden Leo as it left the war zone with grain, killing five and leaving five missing. Eight injured were taken to Odessa.
Missile strike on Turkish grain ship
On 19 July 2026, Russian forces fired three cruise missiles at the Turkish-owned, Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship Golden Leo as it was leaving the Black Sea war zone with a cargo of grain, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Navy on Telegram. The strike killed at least five crew members, left five others missing, and injured eight, who were evacuated to a hospital in Odessa. The navy described the vessel as an unarmed civilian ship that posed no military threat.
This is another targeted attack by Russia against an unarmed civilian ship under a foreign flag, which posed no military threat.
The Golden Leo was reportedly departing the area of hostilities when it was hit. The Ukrainian Navy did not specify the exact location of the attack, but the injured were taken to Odessa, a major Black Sea port.
Broader Russian bombardment overnight
The ship attack occurred amid a wider wave of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine that killed 20 people and wounded at least 142 in the past 24 hours, according to local authorities cited by the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia deployed 125 drones, 25 ballistic missiles, 10 hypersonic Zirkon missiles, and six other types of missiles overnight, with most projectiles aimed at the capital, Kyiv. Cities including Kharkiv were also hit.
- Drones
- 125 count
- Ballistic missiles
- 25 count
- Zirkon hypersonic
- 10 count
- Other missiles
- 6 count
Casualty figures and medical response
The five dead and five missing from the Golden Leo add to the civilian toll of the war. The eight injured crew members were transported to a hospital in Odessa; their nationalities were not immediately disclosed. The Ukrainian Navy's statement framed the attack as part of a pattern of Russian strikes on civilian shipping, though Moscow has not commented on the incident.
Grain shipments under fire
The Golden Leo was carrying grain, a commodity central to Ukraine's economy and global food supply. The Black Sea has been a contested area since Russia's full-scale invasion, with both sides accusing each other of endangering civilian vessels. The ship's flag of convenience (Guinea-Bissau) and Turkish ownership highlight the international dimensions of the conflict.
