Russian Missiles Strike Port Infrastructure Near Ukraine’s Odesa, Kill Seven

A Russian missile attack late on Friday struck port infrastructure near Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, killing seven people and injuring 15, Ukrainian officials said.

“Late in the evening, Russia attacked port infrastructure in the Odesa region with ballistic missiles,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram.

Kuleba and Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said preliminary reports indicated seven fatalities and 15 injuries. A source familiar with the matter said the strike hit Pivdennyi, one of three major ports in the area.

Odesa, a key hub for Ukrainian grain and other exports, has been repeatedly targeted by Russian forces since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The intensity of attacks on the region has increased in recent days. One recent strike damaged a bridge southwest of Odesa, severing a major route between the city and the Danube River port of Reni and complicating border crossings into Moldova and Romania.