Ukraine Confirms Strike on Iranian Ship Carrying Military Cargo to Russia in Caspian Sea

Over the weekend, Ukraine launched an unusual attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea that was en route to Russia, sparking sharp condemnation and threats of retaliation from Tehran. Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed the attack, reporting one sailor killed and another injured. Tehran described the strike as an act of aggression, accusing Kyiv of hostile behavior that could escalate the conflict. Iran maintained the targeted vessel was a civilian merchant ship and vowed to defend its security under the principle of self-defense.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Security Service of Ukraine acknowledged the strike, clarifying that the ship was transporting military cargo to Russia, circumventing international sanctions. Yevhen Korinchev, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, told N12 that the ship carried drone components and missiles, rejecting Iran’s civilian cargo claims. He emphasized that such military targets are legitimate and that Ukraine expects to continue striking similar shipments. Korinchev also highlighted that Ukraine and Israel are fighting against the same enemy, describing it as different facets of the same evil axis.

Following the attack, unofficial Iranian and pro-Iranian channels called for retaliatory strikes against Ukraine, including missile attacks. Concurrently, foreign reports indicated that the United States recently struck a Revolutionary Guards base near the Caspian Sea, a strategic area used by Moscow and Tehran for arms transfers.