Ukraine, Russia Trade Deadly Strikes as Odesa Port Comes Under Fire
Deadly attacks hit Kharkiv and Belgorod as Russia strikes Odesa's port, threatening grain exports.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged lethal attacks on Sunday, with Kyiv reporting a major strike on the southern port city of Odesa and Moscow accusing Ukrainian forces of a deadly drone assault on the Belgorod region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Odesa seaport, a critical artery for the country's agricultural exports, was damaged in the attack. Local authorities reported dozens of drones and missiles targeting the seaside city, wounding a dozen people. Zelenskiy framed the assault as a direct challenge to global food security, stating, "In this way, the Russians are at war with the world's food security." He added that nine other regions across Ukraine were also struck on Sunday.
The attack on Odesa left many residents without power overnight, according to Ukraine's energy ministry, which said electricity had been restored to 90,000 consumers. State energy giant Naftogaz reported a significant increase in attacks on its facilities over the past three days, including on oil extraction sites.
In the eastern city of Kharkiv, a multi-storey apartment block was hit, killing three people and wounding 37 others. Meanwhile, authorities in Russia's Belgorod region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed five people and wounded 25.
Russia's Defence Ministry said it had struck fuel storage facilities in the ports of Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk that it claimed were used by the Ukrainian military. The strikes are part of a broader campaign by both sides targeting each other's logistics, including warehouses and fuel infrastructure.
A 67-year-old Odesa resident, Ihor, whose apartment narrowly escaped destruction, described the port area as the most common target. "Everyone who lives in Odesa knows that the most common target is around the port area," he said.
Ukraine, in turn, has sought to disrupt Russia's war revenues by targeting Russian oil tankers and other cargo vessels in the Black Sea, claiming three such strikes on Sunday.
In the Vatican, Pope Leo renewed his call for an end to the war, which has now lasted four and a half years. "Tragic incidents are multiplying, causing an ever-growing number of civilian victims, including children," the pontiff said during his Sunday Angelus prayer.