Russians attack Odesa with ballistic missiles again, killing one civilians and injuring eight

Russian Armed Forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Odesa’s port infrastructure, killing one person and injuring eight others. Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration, confirmed that all victims were port infrastructure workers.

Illustrative image. Photo credit: dimastennis Instagram account

Kiper also reported damage to civilian vessels: the NS Moon, flying the flag of Belize, and the OPTIMA dry cargo vessel, flying the flag of Palau. A ballistic missile struck the OPTIMA exactly a week ago as well.

The attack also damaged port infrastructure, including a grain warehouse.

To provide background, Russians fired ballistic missiles at Odesa Oblast on the night of October 10-11, 2024, destroying a two-story building. Ukrainian officials reported four deaths, including a teenager.

On the evening of October 9, 2024, the Russian Armed Forces attacked port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast with missiles, killing nine people and injuring eight others.

On Thursday, September 12, Russians targeted a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea transporting wheat for Egypt.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine is a vital global food security donor, and that the internal stability and survival of dozens of nations across the world rely on the smooth operation of its export food corridor.

“We expect a reaction from the world. Missiles should never target wheat and food security,” the president wrote.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that Russians have stolen and exported over 180,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain through the port of Mariupol in 2024 alone.

“Furthermore, the temporarily occupied territories are being looted to finance the war of aggression with the stolen money,” Shmyhal added.

Overall, this is the 23d civilian vessel to be damaged by Russian attacks since the full-scale war began in 2022. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, has appealed to “responsible states” to ensure freedom of navigation and food security.

According to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery and Infrastructure Minister Oleksiy Kuleba, over the past three months, Russians have launched in total nearly 60 attacks on ports, civilian vessels, and grain storage facilities in Ukraine.

“Almost 300 port infrastructure objects, 177 vehicles, and 22 civilian vessels have been damaged or destroyed. 79 civilians have been injured, including port workers, logistics company employees, and ship crews,” Kuleba noted.

He added that Russian attacks affect more than 40 countries who receive Ukrainian grain, including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, Türkiye, and the Netherlands.

The Russian Federation uses temporarily occupied Crimea as a military foothold for its military aggression from the south of Ukraine, shelling Ukrainian cities from the peninsula. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated the importance of de-occupying the Crimean Peninsula.

Ukraine has repeatedly called on countries worldwide to impose restrictive sanctions on the Russian Federation to compel it to comply with international law, including UN Charta.