Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on port infrastructure and civilian ships in Ukraine’s Odesa region on Tuesday, Ukrainian navy and government officials said.
Two Panamanian-flagged civilian ships – Emmakris III and Captain Karam – were attacked by Russian drones while entering a Ukrainian Black Sea port to load wheat, the Ukrainian Navy said.
Russian forces hit the Black Sea ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk, and oil storage tanks were also attacked, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
– This is another targeted attack by Russia on civilian port infrastructure. The enemy is trying to disrupt logistics and make maritime traffic difficult – he added.
Despite the attacks, both ports continued to operate, Kuleba said.
Odessa and the wider surrounding region are home to Black Sea ports that are crucial to Ukraine’s foreign trade and the survival of its wartime economy.
Ukraine is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of agricultural products. During almost four years of war, the role of Odessa and other ports as major trade hubs further increased, as other Ukrainian ports were destroyed, occupied or disrupted by Russian forces.
In recent months, maritime conflicts between Ukraine and Russia have intensified. Both sides attacked military and commercial targets in the Black Sea and beyond.
(Vijesti.ba)
