Russian attacks kill six as Ukraine targets Black Sea oil tankers
Six people were killed in Ukraine after overnight attacks by Russia on the Black Sea port of Odesa and the eastern city of Sumy, according to local officials.
Odessa Region Governor Oleh Kiper said that the “massive” drone and missile attack marked the fifth day of Russia’s attack on the region.
Deputy mayor of the city, Artom Kobzar, said that three people were killed and 17 people were injured throughout the country in the “guided aerial bomb” attack on Sumy.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said its drones hit 20 Russian ships, including 17 oil tankers, in the Black Sea overnight.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the attack on Odsea, saying it deliberately targeted port infrastructure “used for the unloading of oil, petroleum and lubricants”.
Writing in Telegram, Kiper accused Russia of deliberately targeting the civilian population and said residents were killed and injured when a Russian missile hit a multi-storey residential building.
He added that a non-residential building and a gas pipeline were also hit.
Russia claimed in its statement that it targeted facilities related to military hardware production and cargo transportation.
Russia’s attacks in recent days have targeted deep-sea Black Sea ports in Ukraine’s wider Odesa region, which handle much of the country’s grain and other cargo and are vital to the wartime economy.
This follows intense attacks on Russian ships in the Sea of Azov, which lies between Ukraine’s eastern coast of Crimea and Russia.
The Ukrainian attacks have forced Russia, the world’s top grain exporter, to restrict shipping in the Sea of Azov, which handles about a quarter of its grain exports, according to Reuters news agency.
As the attacks continue, Ukraine is trying to recover from the turbulent political situation that resulted in President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko after less than a year in office.
A motion to accept Svyrydenko’s resignation was passed in the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday, although some lawmakers questioned whether the reason for the change had been explained.
Serhiy Koretskyi, head of state oil and gas company Naftogaz, is seen as a possible successor to Svyrydenko, and parliament will vote on his appointment on Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev to discuss cooperation between the European and Ukrainian defense industries.
