Russia launches air strikes on Odessa: Ukrainian officials

Kyiv, The Gulf Observer: Russia has launched air attacks on Odessa for a second night in a row, but the key port will not be intimidated and will continue its work to export grains, Ukrainian officials said.

Air defence systems were also engaged in repelling a Russian attack on Kiev, the capital’s military administration said on the Telegram channel. Reuters’ witness reported hearing blasts and smoke rising near Kiev.

The Odessa region’s governor, Oleh Kiper, said on social media that air defence systems were engaged in repelling the Russian air attack and urged residents of the region to stay in shelters.

The attacks on Odesa, one of Ukraine’s main ports for exporting grain, followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

“[They’re] are trying to scare the whole world, especially those who want to work for the grain corridor … Ukraine, Türkiye and the United Nations,” Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odessa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel.

All of the eastern parts of Ukraine was under air raid alerts, starting soon after midnight on Wednesday.

Pro-Kremlin military bloggers said that the strikes were “massive” and Moscow was using a combination of missiles and drones to attack Odesa and other regions.