Russian strike on Odesa Oblast ports kills two, injures at least five

Russians killed two people and injured at least five others as a result of a combined missile and drone strike on the ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi in the Odesa Oblast in the afternoon of January 7, 2026, according to Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration.

“Sadly, the number of people killed in the attack has risen to two. My sincere condolences to their family and loved ones. A further eight people have been injured, and all are receiving the necessary medical care,” he wrote. 

Kiper added that all emergency services are working at the scene.

Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, reported that port facilities, administrative buildings, and containers with oil were also damaged.

“All services are working on site, taking into account safety requirements, and dealing with the aftermath. The ports continue to operate,” he said.

Kuleba reiterated that this is yet another Russian strike on port infrastructure crucial to ensuring global food security.

“Russia is deliberately trying to undermine the economy and destroy maritime logistics,” the Deputy PM stressed.

To provide background, a Russian military struck on a plant in Dnipro owned by the U.S. company Bunge on January 5, 2026, which produces sunflowers.

A massive combined Russian attack on Ukrainian regions on the night of November 14, 2025, caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure. Debris from an Iskander missile damaged the Azerbaijani embassy. Azerbaijan subsequently summoned the Russian ambassador following the impact on its embassy grounds in Kyiv.

On December 14, 2025, the Naval Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia carried out an attack on a civilian vessel on December 13, 2025, transporting Ukrainian sunflower oil to Egypt.

On the night of December 13, Russians conducted a massive combined attack with attack drones and missiles on Odesa. Authorities reported damage to civilian objects, energy, and industrial infrastructure.

On the evening of December 12, Russia struck Odesa and the region with ballistic missiles and drones. As a result of the attack, a civilian vessel in the port of Chornomorsk was damaged, and one person was injured. The vessel belongs to a Turkish company. There was also damage to civilian and port infrastructure.

You may also want to read: Africa faces vulnerabilities from Russia’s war on Ukraine

Earlier, Vitaliy Koval, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, told Ukrinform that approximately 60% of Ukraine’s export revenue is provided by farmers and agricultural processors, and Ukrainian food supports 400 million people worldwide.

He said that farmers in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and other regions, who frequently endure enemy shelling, are producing vast amounts of crops and playing a crucial role in ensuring international food security.

Ukrainian experts point out that countries including China, North Korea, Hungary, Slovakia, Iran, and Brazil assist Moscow in killing Ukrainians in its war against Ukraine by funding the Russian budget through trade.