Russia Strikes Kill Six in Ukraine; Kyiv Hits Black Sea Oil Tankers
Six people were killed in Ukraine following overnight Russian attacks on the Black Sea port of Odesa and the eastern city of Sumy, according to local officials.
Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region, said a 'massive' drone and missile strike marked the fifth consecutive day of Russian attacks on the region. In Sumy, acting mayor Artom Kobzar reported that three people were killed and 17 injured in a guided aerial bomb attack.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military said its drones hit 20 Russian vessels, including 17 oil tankers, in the Black Sea overnight. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed it had attacked Odesa, stating it deliberately targeted port infrastructure 'used for the unloading of petroleum, oil, and lubricants'.
Writing on Telegram, Kiper accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian populations, saying a missile struck a multi-storey residential building, killing and injuring residents. He added that a non-residential building and a gas pipeline were also hit.
Russia, in its statement, claimed to have targeted sites involved in the manufacture of military hardware and the transport of cargo.
Recent Russian attacks have focused on Ukraine's deep-water Black Sea ports in the wider Odesa area, which handle much of the country's grain and other cargo and are vital to its wartime economy. The Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships in the Sea of Azov have forced Russia, the world's top grain exporter, to restrict shipping on that route, which handles about a quarter of its grain exports, according to Reuters.
Amid the ongoing hostilities, Ukraine is navigating a political shift: President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko after less than a year in office. Parliament accepted her resignation on Tuesday, despite some lawmakers questioning the lack of explanation. Serhiy Koretskyi, head of state oil and gas firm Naftogaz, is seen as a likely successor, with a parliamentary vote scheduled for Thursday.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv to discuss cooperation between European and Ukrainian defence industries.
