By Gloria Ogbonna
At least eight people were killed and 27 others wounded late Friday after a Russian missile strike slammed into port infrastructure in Odesa, a key coastal city in southern Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. The attack marks another deadly escalation in the ongoing war, now approaching its fifth year.
In a statement posted on Telegram early Saturday, emergency officials said several of the injured were traveling on a bus located near the epicenter of the strike when the missiles hit.
The blast triggered fires in a nearby parking area, engulfing multiple trucks in flames, while several cars were damaged by the explosion and flying debris. First responders worked through the night to extinguish fires, evacuate the wounded, and secure the heavily damaged area.
Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa regional administration, confirmed that the port was struck by ballistic missiles, underscoring the severity of the attack. The port of Odesa plays a critical role in Ukraine’s maritime trade and logistics, making it a frequent target in Russia’s campaign to disrupt Ukrainian infrastructure.
Moscow did not immediately acknowledge responsibility for the reported strike in Odesa. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday morning that over the previous day its forces had carried out strikes on unspecified “transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” as well as on energy facilities and sites supporting Kyiv’s military effort. The ministry did not specifically reference Odesa or confirm casualty figures.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported carrying out its own series of long-range strikes against Russian assets. In a statement released Saturday, Ukraine’s General Staff said Ukrainian drones targeted a Russian patrol ship, an oil and gas platform, and other military-related facilities.
According to the statement, a nighttime drone attack on Friday struck the Russian patrol ship “Okhotnik,” which was operating in the Caspian Sea near an oil and gas production platform. The vessel was reportedly on patrol at the time of the strike. Ukrainian officials said the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
In addition, Ukrainian drones hit a drilling platform at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea. The facility is operated by Russian energy giant Lukoil. Another strike reportedly damaged a radar system in the Krasnosilske area of Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
There was no immediate comment from the Russian government or Lukoil regarding the reported attacks. Lukoil is one of two major Russian oil companies—alongside state-owned Gazprom—recently targeted by U.S. sanctions aimed at curbing Russia’s oil export revenues, which Western governments say help finance Moscow’s war effort.
Putin Claims Peace Talks Can’t Happen Because Ukraine Is Not Ready https://t.co/ose3SCWapi
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Kyiv has repeatedly defended its long-range strikes on Russian energy and military infrastructure, arguing that such facilities both fund and directly support Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say degrading these assets is essential to weakening Moscow’s ability to sustain the conflict.
As fighting continues on multiple fronts and long-range attacks intensify, civilians on both sides remain caught in the crossfire, with Friday’s deadly strike in Odesa highlighting the ongoing human cost of the war.
Source Breitbrat
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