Odessa region victim of new Russian attacks
Moscow “attacked the Odessa region with offensive drones and two types of missiles,” regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram, mentioning several “attacks,” including the attack on “port infrastructure.” “A civilian was injured by the shockwave,” Mr Kiper added, indicating that the victim had been taken to hospital.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia led the attack with nineteen Iranian-made Shahed drones, two supersonic Onyx missiles and twelve additional Kalibr missiles. A submarine was also mobilized, the same source said.
All drones and 11 Kalibr were shot down by air defense, the army continued, reporting that the seaside resort of Odessa suffered “significant” damage and a quickly extinguished fire broke out in a hotel building.
Two of the eleven Kalibr missiles destroyed were in the Mykolaiv (south) and Kirovograd (central) regions.
An Onyx projectile hit an “empty” grain warehouse in the port of Odessa, said Nataliya Gumenyuk, an army spokeswoman, claiming the seaside resort was “actually destroyed.” The army also reported that warehouses and shops in the city’s suburbs were damaged by falling debris. The armed forces of southern Ukraine broadcast images of the destruction on Telegram.
Russian forces regularly target this region in southern Ukraine overlooking the Black Sea, home to key port infrastructure for maritime trade. Attacks have increased since the July cancellation of the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to freely export its production.
On Sunday, a second shipment of Ukrainian wheat arrived in Istanbul via the Black Sea, using a maritime corridor established by Kiev, despite Moscow’s threats to attack boats entering and leaving Ukraine.