MOSCOW

Ukrainian forces used a drone to target a wheat-laden bulk carrier in the Sea of Azov, killing two crew members while eight made it to shore in a lifeboat before the ship sank, Russian authorities said on Sunday.

The regional office of the Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement that the incident occurred 300 nautical miles north of Kerch.

"The Volgo-Balt bulk carrier was transporting grain. The crew consisted of 11 people. It was located 300 nautical miles north of Kerch. As a result of the drone attack, two people died at the scene," it said.

However, some media outlets reported that two members are missing, while the capsule lifeboat carried eight people, with the ninth being the body that made it to the Kherson region.

"The remaining nine people evacuated into a capsule lifeboat, which was washed ashore near the village of Schastlyvtsevo. Among the nine people in the lifeboat, there was one deceased," the ministry statement said.

Ukraine has yet to respond to the latest attack.

In recent months, Russia has reported multiple attacks on its vessels, primarily those transporting energy resources, for which Ukraine has claimed responsibility.