Russia launches massive air attack on Ukrainian port of Odesa

Russia has launched a massive air attack on the Ukrainian port of Odesa for a second night in row, officials have said.

The attacks on Odesa, one of Ukraine’s main ports for exporting grain, followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had hit military targets in two Ukrainian port cities overnight as “a mass revenge strike” in response to the attack on the Crimean Bridge.

Shortly after the bridge was hit on Monday, Moscow withdrew from a year-old Black Sea grain agreement that allowed for the safe exports of Ukraine’s grain, a move the United Nations said risked creating hunger around the world.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for (They’re) the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel on Wednesday that The attack was “very powerful, truly massive”.

“It was a hellish night,” he said, adding that details on damage and casualties will come later.

“(They’re) are trying to scare the whole world, especially those who want to work for the grain corridor … Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations.” Bratchuk said.

“But I think that all normal, rational people will look and say: Odesa was not afraid, is not afraid and will not be afraid – we will work.”

Also Read:Russia halts Black Sea grain deal

Most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts on and off starting soon after midnight on Wednesday, with Russia striking other places, including a drone attack on Kyiv.

“A difficult night of air attacks for all of Ukraine, especially in the south, in Odesa,” Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv’s city military administration, said on the Telegram channel.

He said Kyiv was attacked and according to preliminary information there was some damage or casualties.

There was no immediate comment from Russia on the attacks. Pro-Kremlin military bloggers said that Moscow was using a combination of missiles and drones to attack Odesa and other regions.

The RBC-Ukraine news agency reported that there was also an attack on Crimea, with explosions sounding at the Krynychky military training grounds. Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Reuters could not independently verify the reports of the attack on Crimea.