Russian airstrikes on two Ukrainian ports – at least 20 injured

Russian airstrikes on two Ukrainian ports – at least 20 injured

Russia attacked two southern Ukrainian ports, Odesa and Mykolaiv, on the night from Wednesday to Thursday. Ukrainian authorities report this, according to international media. At least 20 people were injured in the attacks, including five children.

Mykolaiv was hit hardest. Eighteen people are said to have been injured there, two in Odesa. A three-storey apartment complex in the center of Mykolaiv was also reportedly hit by Russian missiles. Odesa was targeted for the third night in a row.

The port terminals of the cities, where a lot of food is stored, have also been the target of the attacks, according to Ukraine. On Monday, Russia ended a grain deal that allowed ships carrying Ukrainian grain to leave ports without being attacked by Russian military forces. Grain was exported from the port of Odesa. Before the attack, Ukraine planned to also export grain from Mykolaiv.

According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia fired nineteen cruise missiles and nineteen drones in the night from Wednesday to Thursday. The Ukrainian army is said to have shot down five cruise missiles and thirteen attack drones over the two port cities. Where the others fell is unclear.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is attacking the whole world with this. “About a million tons of food is stored in the ports attacked today. This is the volume that should have been delivered to consumer countries in Africa and Asia a long time ago.” he tweeted.