Russian troops hit port and energy infrastructure in an overnight attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region, causing a fire at a major port and disrupting electricity supplies to tens of thousands of people, a senior Ukrainian official said yesterday.
Ukraine’s Black Sea ports are crucial for its export-driven economy and their security and functionality have been vital for the country’s economic survival throughout nearly four years of war in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“Russia is attempting to disrupt maritime logistics by launching systematic attacks on port and energy infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram app. “Last night, ports and energy facilities were targeted again.”
Kuleba said that following the attacks, a fire had broken out in the port of Pivdennyi and about 30 containers of flour and vegetable oil were on fire.
Port workers and emergency services were tackling the blaze.
Because of damage to the energy infrastructure, electricity supplies were disrupted to more than 120,000 customers in the Odesa region, he said.
One person had been hurt in the attack, the interior ministry said.
Russia did not immediately comment on the overnight attack.
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