A Russian overnight strike targeting Odesa’s port infrastructure in southern Ukraine damaged facilities and private homes, following Moscow’s refusal to extend a grain export agreement.
A Russian overnight strike damaged port infrastructure facilities in southern Ukraine’s Odesa, Kyiv’s military said on Tuesday, hours after Moscow refused to extend a deal allowing the safe export of grain from the region.
Six Kalibr missiles launched toward Odesa, and 21 Iran-built attack drones approaching the Odesa region were “destroyed” by air defenses, Ukraine’s military southern command said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, the debris of the downed missiles and the blast wave from the downing damaged the port infrastructure facilities and several private homes,” the southern command said.
Ukraine’s air force said a total of 31 drones were downed across the country out of 36 launched by Russia overnight.
The Odesa region is home to maritime terminals that were key to the grain export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv that enabled the shipment of more than 32 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain in the past year.
An “industrial facility” in the southern port city of Mykolaiv was also hit in the overnight attack, according to local Governor Vitaliy Kim.
A fire had subsequently broken out before being extinguished, he said on Telegram, adding there were no casualties.
Moscow’s invasion last year saw Ukraine’s Black Sea ports blocked by warships until the agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey and signed in July 2022, allowed for the passage of critical grain shipments.
Russia refused to extend the deal on Monday, sparking outrage from the United Nations, which warned millions of the world’s poorest would “pay the price.”
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
