The Black Sea is a crucial trading route for Ukraine, one of the world's largest agricultural producers and exporters, but was turned into a naval battleground when Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Russia launched a strike on an ordinary civilian vessel in the Black Sea right after it left Ukrainian territorial waters," Zelensky said in a post on social media on Thursday, adding that there were no casualties.

In a later statement, the Ukrainian navy said the ship was hit with a cruise missile at 11:03 pm (2003 GMT) on Wednesday.

"As a result of the attack, the bulk carrier AYA, which was transporting grain from the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk to Egypt and was in the Black Sea at the time, was severely damaged," the navy said.

Zelensky called for global condemnation of the attack.

"Domestic stability and normal life in dozens of countries around the world are dependent on the normal and unhindered operation of our food expert corridor," he said.

Moscow last year pulled out of a UN-brokered deal guaranteeing safe passage for Ukraine's agricultural exports on the Black Sea, but Kyiv has carved out a maritime corridor allowing trade to continue.

Over 5,000 ships have sailed through the grain corridor since it was created, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said Wednesday.

Global food prices shot up when Russia invaded Ukraine amid fears conflict in the Black Sea would hobble global food supplies.