A “massive” overnight Russian air strike on Odesa destroyed grain stores and left at least one civilian injured, Ukrainian officials said.
The strategic port was reportedly targeted from the sea with a surface missile carrier and a submarine from Novorossiysk Bay.
The Ukrainian southern defence forces claimed to have shot down 19 Shahed drones and 11 Kalibr missiles with their defence systems.
Nevertheless, the Odesa area was left significantly damaged by the Russian attack, with granaries at the port destroyed by Onyx supersonic missiles and Hotel Odesa at the Odesa sea station in tatters.
Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian southern military command, said Russia was seemingly “trying to test out the density of the air defence”.
She added: “They understand that port infrastructure is a priority for our region, and that it is reliably protected. However, that is why the attack that occurred tonight was both massive and by combined means.”
Russia has ramped up its attacks on Odesa and its grain infrastructure since July, when Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Deal which had allowed the safe transit of grain shipment through the Black Sea.
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