Ukraine Claims It Shot Down Russian Drones Targeting Odesa Port

Ukrainian officials announced on Wednesday that Ukraine shot down 19 out of 20 Shahed drones launched by Russia in a nighttime attack that resulted in three people being injured and caused damage to residential buildings in the port city of Odesa on the Black Sea. The Ukrainian army reported that the Russian attack targeted Odesa and other areas in the south for at least three hours. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the debris from the drones struck residential buildings and damaged a gas pipeline and dozens of cars in one area of the port, adding that three individuals were injured and approximately 130 people were evacuated. The Southern Military Command stated in a statement that "the enemy's main efforts were focused on launching attacks on Odesa. The suicide drones entered the area at a very low altitude coming from the Black Sea," adding that 11 drones were shot down in Odesa. Moscow has repeatedly attempted to strike infrastructure in Ukraine's southern ports on the Black Sea since its withdrawal from a UN-brokered agreement that allowed safe passage for Ukrainian grain shipments across the sea.