Cargo ship sinks off Ukraine coast after explosion

Ukraine's cargo ship sinks after explosion

The Estonian owners of a cargo ship say it has sunk off the coast of Ukraine after an explosion.

Qazet.az reports that hey say two crew members ended up in a life-raft at sea and four others were initially missing - all six were later picked up by a local Ukrainian rescue service.

The Panama-flagged ship is owned by Estonia-based company Vista Shipping Agency. Baltic state Estonia is a member of Nato and has a border with Russia.

The vessel had been anchored off the Ukrainian coast after leaving the southern port of Chornomorsk near Odesa a number of days ago. It is not clear what caused the blast.

Ukraine's military says that Russia is sending amphibious landing vessels to capture Odesa, a city of a million people and a major seaport, as it continues its advance across southern Ukraine.