KYIV, Ukraine: Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region killed four people, including a 16-year-old girl, and injured 10 others in an overnight attack, according to regional governor Oleg Kiper. Among the victims were also a 43-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man. One of the women initially injured later succumbed to her wounds in the hospital. The attack targeted a two-story building, which was destroyed by ballistic missiles.
This strike is part of a wider Russian campaign that has targeted Ukraine’s southern coastal regions, including Odesa, aiming to cripple the country’s export infrastructure. Russia has repeatedly attacked Odesa’s grain silos, port facilities, and civilian vessels since the invasion began in February 2022. Odesa, once a major global grain exporter, has seen a significant decline in its shipping capacity due to these strikes.
In addition to the Odesa attack, Russian forces continued assaults in other regions of Ukraine. One person was killed in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk, where Russian forces are advancing. Meanwhile, in Kharkiv, one person was killed, and seven others were wounded during Russian strikes over the last 24 hours.
Ukraine, for its part, has also intensified its counter-offensive. A large oil terminal in the Russian-occupied Crimean town of Feodosia, struck by Ukrainian forces earlier this week, was reported to still be burning five days later. The ongoing conflict has led to rising concerns over violations of international law, especially regarding the destruction of vital civilian and export infrastructure in Ukraine.
