Russia launched an intensive aerial assault on the Ukrainian city of Odesa for the second consecutive night, but officials pledged today, Wednesday, not to succumb to intimidation from this "hellish" attack and that it would not deter their efforts to maintain grain exports from their ports. The spokesperson for the military administration in Odesa, Serhiy Bratchuk, described the attack as "extremely strong and truly massive," noting that details regarding damages, casualties, and injuries would be provided later.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced today that it shot down 37 targets out of 63 in a broad Russian missile and drone attack overnight, which is a lower rate than typically reported after the attacks over the past few months.
Overnight, Russia struck #Ukraine with 30 cruise missiles, one aerial guided missile, and 32 #Shahed drones. Ukrainian Air Defense destroyed 37 enemy air targets: • 13 #Kalibr cruise missiles; • 1 X-59 guided missile; • 23 Shahed-136/131 attack #UAVs.
The air force indicated that the main focus of the attack was on infrastructure and military facilities in the Odesa region. The Southern Command of Ukraine reported that Russia used hypersonic missiles to hit the infrastructure of the Odesa port. The military revealed that the attack targeted "grain and oil transfer docks, damaged tanks and loading equipment, and caused a fire," adding, "All relevant services are dealing with the aftermath."
The three ports in the Odesa region are the only ones that have continued to operate during the war under the Black Sea grain export initiative, an agreement from which Moscow withdrew on Monday. Since then, Russia has launched two violent bombings on the city.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak stated that Russia is deliberately targeting grain export docks and port infrastructure. He tweeted, "The main objective is to destroy the possibility of shipping Ukrainian grain."
The attack on Odesa came after Russia vowed to retaliate for the bombing of a bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday, for which Moscow blamed Kyiv. The Southern Command of Ukraine also reported that warehouses in Odesa for storing tobacco and fireworks were targeted in the attack.
Most regions in Ukraine received air raid alerts intermittently shortly after midnight, as Russia targeted other areas including Kyiv, which experienced drone strikes. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday stated that its forces seized the Movtchanov railway station in the region.
The United Nations mentioned that "a number of ideas are being proposed" to assist in transporting Ukrainian grain and Russian grains and fertilizers to global markets. Moscow's withdrawal raised concerns, particularly in Africa and Asia, regarding rising food prices and hunger.
The appointed Russian governor of the Crimean Peninsula reported that a fire broke out in a military training area in the Kirovsky region of the peninsula, prompting the evacuation of more than two thousand people and the closure of a nearby highway.
