Russian drone and missile attacks on Odessa, 3 wounded

Kyiv, The Gulf Observer: At least three people were wounded in two-waves of Russian drone and missile attacks overnight on the port city of Odessa, an official and the military in the Ukrainian region on the Black Sea said.

“As a result of the enemy attack in Odessa, several fires broke out from falling rocket fragments,” the governor, Oleh Kiper, said on the Telegram messaging app.

“Windows in buildings were blown out by the blast wave.”

The Operational Command South said on Telegram that Ukraine has downed three waves of Russian missiles and drones targeting Odessa.

“The enemy attacked Odessa region three times during the night, using two waves of attack drones, a total of 15, and eight Kalibr-type sea-based missiles,” he said.

Air defence forces repelled all the attacks, but falling debris damaged a student dormitory and a supermarket in Odessa’s city centre, leaving three workers wounded, the army said.

“The blast wave damaged windows and balconies in several buildings, and damaged cars parked nearby”, it said, adding that firefighters were battling two blazes.

Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks in the Black Sea since Moscow exited a deal last month that had granted Kiev’s grain exports safe passage during the conflict.

Since withdrawing from the agreement, Moscow has pounded ports in the Odessa region that were key for Ukrainian grain exports under the deal.

On August 2, Russia struck port infrastructure in Izmail, one of the main export routes for Ukrainian agricultural products to neighbouring Romania.