Ukraine Says Russian Strikes Hit Odesa Port

Russia launched a major aerial attack on southern Ukraine overnight, causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure. The Ukrainian military reported the attack on Monday, with the port city of Odesa and its vital grain storage facilities taking a direct hit. The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine conveyed the gravity of the situation through Telegram, stating that Russia had once again targeted the southern region of the country. This latest assault comes after Russia withdrew from a UN-brokered agreement in July, which had facilitated the safe shipment of grain via the Black Sea. Since then, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's grain-exporting infrastructure in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian southern military command, suggested that Russia's intent may have been to assess the density of Ukrainian air defenses. She emphasized the strategic importance of the port infrastructure in the region and highlighted the attack's substantial scale and combined approach. According to the Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine, Russia deployed 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles against Odesa and fired 12 Kalibr cruise missiles. The Ukrainian air force reported that all 19 drones and 11 Kalibr missiles were successfully intercepted. However, Odesa's port infrastructure sustained significant damage, including the destruction of grain storage facilities. Fortunately, there were no casualties among the population. Ukraine has been exploring alternative Black Sea routes through NATO-controlled waters, with recent grain shipments to Turkey marking the first successful ventures. Both Russia and Ukraine play pivotal roles in global agriculture, and the ongoing conflict has disrupted global food supplies and markets. Beyond Odesa, reports indicated that Kherson, Olgivka, and Lvove were also subjected to strikes, with details about casualties and damage still being ascertained. Additionally, falling debris from a downed drone caused a fire at an industrial enterprise in Kryvyi Rig, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while other communities experienced heavy artillery shelling, fortunately resulting in no loss of life. Russia's defense ministry claimed that its air defenses had downed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the northwestern Black Sea and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. While some regions near the Ukraine-Russia border reported property damage due to these incidents, there were no reported casualties.