Russian attack on Odesa injures 4, damages port infrastructure and civilian vessel

A Russian missile strike on Odesa has damaged critical infrastructure and a foreign-flagged vessel, injuring four civilians.

Sep 21, 2024 - 01:00

Russian attack on Odesa injures 4, damages port infrastructure and civilian vessel

Odesa-seaport-

Russian forces launched a missile attack on Odesa on 20 September, resulting in injuries and damage to port infrastructure, civilian infrastructure, and a civilian vessel flying the flag of Antigua, Governor Oleh Kiper said.

According to Kiper, Russia hit civilian infrastructure and a civilian vessel in the port city of Odesa with an Iskander-M missile.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Odesa’s ports have been a primary target of Russian attacks. As Ukraine’s largest seaport and a crucial hub for grain exports, Odesa’s maritime infrastructure is strategically significant. By targeting these facilities, Russia aims to disrupt Ukraine’s economy and its ability to export agricultural products, which are vital for global food security and Ukraine’s trade relations.

This strike on Odesa was part of a larger assault on Ukraine on 20 September. Overnight, Russian forces launched 70 attack drones at Ukraine, as well as three missiles of an unspecified type at the Donetsk Oblast and a Kh-59 guided air-to-surface missile at the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted 61 Shahed drones and one Kh-59 missile. An additional nine drones were reportedly lost in various Ukraine’s oblasts.

The air defense system operated in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Khmelnytsky, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kherson oblasts.

Debris from downed drones in Lviv and Cherkasy oblasts caused fires. No casualties were reported, according to local governors.

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