Russia may have struck a civilian ship in a Ukrainian port with a missile because of "poor weapons employment tactics," according to UK intelligence.
The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Friday that a civilian ship flagged to Liberia was hit in Ukraine's Pivdennyi port by a Russian anti-radar missile on Wednesday.
A harbor pilot was killed, and three crew members and a port worker were injured, the MOD said.
The missile "was likely being used to target Ukrainian military radars in the area," the MOD said.
According to Ukrainian officials, the missile was probably a KH-31 air-launched missile, also known as an AS-17 KRYPTON, the MOD said.
"It is a realistic possibility the air launched AS-17 missile in the absence of a live military radar signature, locked onto the civilian ship's radar," it added.
"If so, this would demonstrate poor weapons employment tactics on behalf of the Russian pilot."
Ukraine's southern military command said the vessel was struck as it entered the port. It said the attack came from aircraft over the Black Sea.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's Minister for Communities and Territories Development and Infrastructure, said the ship was a civilian vessel carrying iron ore to China.
Kubrakov said the vessel was damaged and the three injured crew were citizens of the Philippines.
Russia has been targeting Ukraine's ports as part of its full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022.
It has hit ports where Ukraine exports grain, causing global food prices to rise, with Ukraine one of the largest wheat and sunflower oil exporters in the world.
In July 2022, Russia agreed to allow ships transporting grain to leave Ukraine, but it pulled out of the deal in July 2023, sparking new warnings from experts about the world's food supply.
Kubrakov described Wednesday's attack as the 21st targeted attack by Russia on port infrastructure in Odesa since it left the grain deal.
"That is why Ukraine is doing everything to strengthen its air defense and protect the south of Ukraine from Russian terrorist attacks," he said.
