Putin Orders Iskander-M Missile Strike on Cargo Ship in Odesa Amid Allegations of British Weapons Transfer

Image Credentials: Generated with AI DALL·E-2025-03-02-12.11.15

By Newsroom with Agencies

March 2, 2025 – Odesa, Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly launched a missile strike on a cargo ship in Odesa, citing unverified claims that it was transporting British-supplied weapons for Ukraine. The attack, executed using two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, targeted the Panama-flagged MSC LEVANTE F shortly after its arrival at the Ukrainian port on March 1.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the strike injured two port workers and caused significant damage to infrastructure. The 482-foot-long vessel, reportedly Swiss-owned, had made a stop in Turkey before reaching Ukraine.

Russian pro-war Telegram channels, including one run by Crimea-based blogger Oleksandr Talipov, alleged that the ship was carrying military supplies, including drones and weaponry purportedly collected from a NATO base in Turkey. However, these claims remain unverified, with no tangible evidence provided.

So, Russia has attacked the Odessa Port with Iskander-M missiles and hit a Container ship "Levante F" by Swiss 🇨🇭MSC (Mediterranean shipping company), under Panama Flag yesterday:@watson_news / @Blickch / @20min : any reports?https://t.co/asoktdeFrg pic.twitter.com/WqNbKKlEso

— SwissFella  (Bonkus Helveticus) 🇨🇭 🇸🇪 🇺🇦 (@testaccount445r) March 2, 2025

Talipov asserted, “It was established that in Turkey the ship loaded additional containers—red and yellow—carrying British sea drones and weapons.” He further claimed that after the missile strike, detonations on board led to the destruction and sinking of the vessel. Another pro-Kremlin source, Telegram channel Soprotivlenie, alleged the cargo included American-supplied radars and launch containers for ATACMS missiles.

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba strongly refuted the Russian allegations, stating that the ship carried “completely civilian cargoes.” The attack was confirmed by Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper, who stated, “The enemy fired a ballistic missile on Odesa, damaging port infrastructure and a civilian vessel under the flag of the Republic of Panama owned by a European company.”

In addition to the MSC LEVANTE F, another vessel, the Sierra Leone-flagged SUPER SARKAS, was also reportedly struck. Kuleba confirmed that both ships carried non-military goods.

The missile strike comes as British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders to discuss the future of Ukraine. The meeting follows a recent televised dispute between Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, regarding continued military aid to Kyiv.

While Russia has frequently targeted foreign vessels in Ukrainian ports since the start of the full-scale invasion, the true nature of the MSC LEVANTE F’s cargo remains unclear. The Kyiv Independent reported that no immediate details were available regarding the extent of damage to the ship or the cargo it was carrying.

This attack marks another escalation in Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine’s maritime infrastructure. Since July 2022, at least 20 foreign merchant ships have sustained damage due to Russian strikes, according to Ukrainian officials. The MSC LEVANTE F itself previously made headlines in July last year when it became the first MSC container ship to call at Odesa since the onset of the war.

Before docking in Odesa, the vessel last made port at Asyaport, near Tekirdağ on Turkey’s northern coast along the Sea of Marmara. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, has yet to comment on the incident.

As tensions continue to rise, the attack raises serious questions about the safety of civilian maritime operations in the Black Sea, as well as the broader geopolitical ramifications of alleged Western arms transfers to Ukraine.