Ukrainian Coast Guard personnel carried out a search and rescue operation in the Black Sea overnight on July 19 and rescued a crew member of the cargo vessel Venturo, which had been attacked by a Russian drone the previous day.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) reported the rescue and released video footage of the operation.
On the evening of July 17, the Venturo was struck by a Russian attack drone. Most of the crew members were evacuated the same day by personnel of the Ukrainian Navy.
However, one sailor remained adrift in a lifeboat in the open sea.
On the evening of July 18, border guards from the 26th detachment detected a small vessel in the Black Sea using surveillance equipment.
A small Coast Guard boat of the State Border Guard Service was immediately dispatched to conduct the search and rescue mission.
The border guards successfully evacuated the ship’s electrical engineer, a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines.
According to the SBGS, the operation was carried out under extremely difficult conditions — in complete darkness and under the constant threat of repeated strikes by remotely controlled Russian drones.
Despite the high level of danger, the Coast Guard personnel successfully completed the mission and transported the rescued sailor to a safe location.
After medical examination, it was determined that the sailor was in satisfactory condition and did not require medical assistance.
