A Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa has killed two people and damaged three civilian cargo vessels, Ukrainian officials said, in the latest attack targeting the country’s maritime infrastructure.
Oleh Kiper, governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region, said the overnight strike hit port facilities used for commercial shipping, killing two port workers and injuring several others. Emergency services responded to the scene as firefighters worked to contain blazes caused by the attack.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said three civilian vessels flying foreign flags sustained damage in the strike, along with warehouses, cargo handling equipment and other port infrastructure. Authorities said the attack is being investigated as a suspected war crime because it targeted civilian facilities.
The port of Odesa is Ukraine’s largest seaport and plays a critical role in the country’s exports of grain, metals and other goods. Since Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023, Ukrainian ports have been subjected to repeated missile and drone attacks, despite efforts by Kyiv to maintain maritime trade through alternative shipping routes.
Russia has not immediately commented on the latest strike. Moscow has consistently maintained that it targets military and strategic infrastructure, while Ukraine accuses Russian forces of deliberately attacking civilian facilities and disrupting global food exports.
The attack comes as fighting continues across southern Ukraine, with both sides reporting intensified missile and drone operations in recent days. International officials have repeatedly warned that continued attacks on Black Sea ports threaten global food security and commercial shipping in the region.
Leave a comment