The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday morning (Photo: AFP)

Ukraine says a ship struck a Russian mine in the Black Sea, causing an explosion on board.

The Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier was heading to a port on the Danube in the Odessa region that was under heavy attack by Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Chaos ensued when a fire broke out on the upper deck, injuring two sailors.

The crew lost control of the ship and to prevent flooding the captain anchored it to the bottom.

Coast Guard and State Police search and rescue boats immediately provided assistance to the crew and brought paramedics aboard.

One sailor was treated at the scene, while the other was taken to the nearest hospital.

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