Russian Drone Strike Hits Odesa Port, Killing One And Damaging Infrastructure

A Russian drone strike targeted one of the Black Sea ports in Ukraine’s Odesa region during the night of 13 February, killing one person and injuring six others, according to Ukrainian officials.

Three of the injured are reported to be in serious condition. All casualties were civilians and received medical treatment.

Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, Oleksii Kuleba, reported that Russian forces attacked port infrastructure using drones.

He stated that facilities belonging to a business, fertiliser warehouses and vehicles, including freight wagons, were damaged in the strike, which also caused a fire.

The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, said the attack also affected residential, industrial and energy infrastructure in the region.

In the port area, warehouses storing fertilisers were damaged, and four passenger cars and freight wagons caught fire.

In Odesa city, impacts and falling drone debris were recorded at a car dealership and a sanatorium.

Two Shahed drones struck apartments in two residential buildings, although no further fire was reported in those cases.

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority stated that the port involved was one of three located around Odesa. While infrastructure was damaged, port operations continue.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 154 drones and one ballistic missile overnight. Air defence systems downed or neutralised 111 of the drones.

Kiper stated that the strike caused substantial disruption to electricity, heating and water supplies in parts of the region.

Ukraine’s private energy company, DTEK, described the damage to energy infrastructure in the city as extremely serious and stated that repairs would require significant time.

Additionally, Russian forces carried out drone attacks on railway infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region within the past 24 hours.

Preliminary information indicated no casualties, and train movements were not affected.

Separately, Ukrainian authorities reported that three brothers, including an eight-year-old child, were killed near the eastern front line in the Donetsk region.

Two of the brothers were aged 19. Local prosecutors stated that the boys’ mother and grandmother were injured in the attack.

Kuleba stated that Russia has been deliberately and systematically targeting Ukraine’s logistics infrastructure, including ports and railways that support exports, business operations and regional supply chains.

References: Reuters, newsukraine

Source: Maritime Shipping News