Drone attack on Panama-flagged ship in Black Sea kills 1, injures 2

PANAMA CITY – One crew member was killed and two more injured after a drone attack on a Panama-flagged ship in the Black Sea, Panama’s Maritime Authority (AMP) said late on June 19.

The AMP said the incident occurred on June 18 and that one of the injured sailors was in serious condition. The ship was able to continue on its course, it added.

The authority added that it has “activated the relevant protocols to gather official information on the incident and maintains communication with the parties involved”.

The AMP did not say where the drone attack came from, but advised ships to avoid travelling through Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, to the north.

Panama operates the world’s largest ship registry with roughly 16 per cent of the global merchant fleet sailing under its flag. REUTERS