Rubio Says Ukraine Targeted US-Linked Ships: What We Know

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that Ukraine had repeatedly targeted vessels linked to the United States in recent months, probably unintentionally.Rubio added that the issue needs to be resolved.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Over the last few months, on a number of occasions, American-linked ships have been targeted, probably not deliberately, but targeted nonetheless by Ukraine. We can’t have that happen. That needs to be addressed,” he said.Rubio did not publicly name the vessels or clarify whether they were American-owned, US-flagged or connected to the United States through cargo, chartering or energy infrastructure.Rubio also backed a broader pause in attacks on energy infrastructure during the Fox News interview.“We think that would be a great idea – an energy infrastructure ceasefire, in which Ukraine’s infrastructure is not being targeted, and Russian energy supplies are not being targeted as well,” he saidWhat does “US-linked” mean?The claim appears to refer to vessels using Russia’s Black Sea ports to transport oil connected to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which carries Kazakh crude to export terminals.The Financial Times reported in August that US Vice President JD Vance had asked Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers using the port of Novorossiysk. Washington was concerned that the attacks were disrupting global oil markets and affecting US companies, including Chevron and ExxonMobil. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine to Charge Russia in UN for Causing Humanitarian Disaster in Occupied City Russia won’t let residents out or the Red Cross and emergency supplies into the Dnipro River city of Oleshky, trapping and starving about 2,000 people. The Kremlin just said it’s Ukraine’s fault. According to the report, Ukraine agreed not to target CPC infrastructure or non-Russian vessels as long as those ships were not under Ukrainian sanctions and were not carrying Russian oil or other Russian cargo.That means the vessels could be commercially connected to US interests without being US property. No publicly available report has established that Ukraine repeatedly struck ships sailing under the US flag or owned by US companies.Ukraine’s attacks on Russian shippingUkraine has intensified attacks on Russian-linked shipping and oil infrastructure in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov in 2026.Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian tankers, cargo ships and other vessels as part of an effort to disrupt Moscow’s energy revenues and military logistics. On Tuesday, the commander of Ukraine’s drone forces said his units struck 300 shadow fleet tankers ferrying Russian oil since July.The campaigns have also affected commercial navigation. London’s marine insurance market recently expanded its high-risk zone to cover the entire Black Sea after a rise in attacks on commercial shipping by both Russia and Ukraine.No evidence of repeated attacks on US shipsReports confirm that Ukrainian strikes have affected vessels and infrastructure linked to Western energy companies, but no public evidence shows that US-owned or US-flagged ships were repeatedly hit.His comments came as Washington urged Kyiv and Moscow to halt attacks on energy facilities and commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Zelensky was expected to meet Trump at the UN on Tuesday to discuss a possible energy truce.Russia also attacks commercial shippingRubio’s comments come as Russia continues to target Ukrainian ports and civilian vessels in the Black Sea.In an interview with Kyiv Post, Dmytro Barinov, head of the Ukrainian Ports Association, said Russian forces had damaged or destroyed more than 300 vessels since the start of the full-scale invasion. He said the attacks intensified in July, with Russian forces “hunting for vessels” entering or leaving Ukrainian ports.The attacks have also disrupted global food supplies. According to Bloomberg, Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports during the July-September harvest period could fall to roughly half last year’s level. Strikes on ports, grain terminals, storage facilities and commercial vessels have pushed wheat prices to three-year highs and forced major importers to search for more expensive supplies elsewhere.Russia and Ukraine normally account for more than a quarter of global wheat exports, around two-thirds of sunflower oil shipments and about one-tenth of international corn trade.Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, reportedly received no Black Sea grain for about a month, while buyers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East turned to suppliers in France, Romania, Argentina, India and Australia. Ukraine is also facing a storage crisis as its new harvest accumulates faster than it can be exported, threatening farmers’ incomes and the country’s already strained budget. Yuliia Zavadska is a news writer at Kyiv Post. She has experience in breaking news coverage, fact-checking, and digital journalism, with a focus on fast, accurate reporting and clear storytelling. Before joining Kyiv Post, she worked as a news feed editor for several leading Ukrainian media outlets.