Russian drone strikes on the Ukrainian city of Odesa continues; damages the port infrastructure

The Russian drone strikes on the Ukrainian city of Odesa have persisted, causing damage to crucial port infrastructure, including grain silos, as reported by the regional Governor Oleg Kiper on Wednesday (August 2).

Governor Oleg stated on Telegram that the enemy’s main focus was the port and industrial infrastructure in the region. The air defense forces worked tirelessly for nearly three hours to counter the attacks, and emergency services were promptly dispatched to the scene. Fortunately, there were no reports of casualties resulting from the strikes.

The aftermath of the attack revealed fires breaking out at the port and industrial facilities, and an elevator suffered damage.

Over the past two weeks, senior Ukrainian officials have reported that Russia has caused damage to numerous port infrastructure facilities and civilian vessels. The Russian strikes had also damaged a Chinese consulate in the port city in the previous month.

In addition to Odesa, the capital city of Kyiv also faced Russian drone attacks in the early hours of Wednesday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that drone debris fell in the central Solomianskyi district, resulting in damage to a non-residential building.

Sergiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration, revealed that multiple groups of drones entered Kyiv from different directions. However, the city’s air defense effectively detected and destroyed more than ten unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a timely manner. The Russian forces employed Iranian-made Shahed drones during the attack.

These incidents occurred shortly after Russia claimed to have thwarted a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow, Crimea, and vessels in the Black Sea. A skyscraper in Moscow’s financial district was struck for the second time in a matter of days.

The heightened attacks on Ukrainian cities come after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal earlier in the month. The deal had previously allowed safe passage to Ukrainian cargo ships carrying grain shipments. However, following the cancellation, Russia has been closely monitoring the Ukrainian vessels and considers them potential military targets.