Russian forces continued to hit the Odesa region -- with Ukraine's main Black Sea ports -- with ballistic missiles, damaging a second foreign-flagged civilian vessel a day after striking the main city itself.
Odesa region Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram on October 7 that a Russian missile struck a Palau-flagged ship in the port of Odesa, killing a 60-year-old Ukrainian employee of a private cargo-handling company.
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Five foreign nationals were injured, four seriously, he added.
"Russian terrorists are once again trying to disrupt the work of the Ukrainian grain corridor," he said, referring to work in the port area to export grain products internationally.
Kiper and other Ukrainian officials said it was the second ship struck in two days after a Russian air strike over the weekend hit a grain ship in the Pivdenniy port in the Odesa region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called Russia's attacks on Black Sea shipping a "deliberate terrorist tactic."
"By attacking civilian vessels, Russia tries to weaken Ukraine's economy and put millions around the world at risk of hunger. We must join forces of all responsible states and organizations to stop the aggressor, ensure freedom of navigation in Black Sea and global food security," he wrote on X.
Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy prime minister for restoration of Ukraine, said he believes the attacks were designed as intimidation to obstruct the export of grain and other products.
"In this way, the aggressor is trying to destroy shipping in the Black Sea again and undermine Ukrainian efforts to ensure food security," he wrote on Telegram.
SEE ALSO: NATO Says 'No Justification' For Missile Attack On Grain Vessel In Black SeaUkraine, one of the world's leading grain producers and exporters, has been shipping about 4 million tons of grain each month through the Black Sea corridor, which was set up through a deal mediated by Turkey and the United Nations.
The Russian leadership denies that its forces have targeted the civilian infrastructure of Ukrainian cities, villages, and ports during its full-scale invasion, despite the widespread killing of civilians and destruction of schools, businesses, and energy and water supply facilities.
On October 6, local officials said missiles had hit Odesa city, causing damages but no apparent injuries.
Separately, Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the HUR, said a Ukrainian sabotage operation had damaged a Russian minesweeping ship in Russia's Kaliningrad region, putting it out of action.
It did not provide details of the operation, but identified the vessel as an Obukhov Alexandrit-class minesweeper
“The ship, which was based in the city of Baltiisk and was supposed to go on combat duty, suffered severe damage -- due to the mysterious appearance of a hole in the gas duct, water got into the engine."
It said the vessel was the second "neutralized ship" of Russia’s Baltic Fleet in the past six months
Moscow did not comment on the reports from Odesa or the Baltic region.