Ukraine shot down waves of missiles and drones Russians going to Odessahis army reported Monday, the latest in a series of attacks in the southern region on the coast of Black Sea.
“The enemy attacked the Odessa region three times during the night, using two waves of attack drones, a total of 15, and eight Kalibr-type maritime missiles,” the Southern Operational Command wrote on Telegram.
Defense air forces repelled all attacks, but falling debris damaged a student residence and a supermarket, and injured three workers, according to the army.
“The shock wave damaged windows and balconies in several buildings,” as well as “cars parked nearby,” he continued, adding that firefighters were fighting two fires.
Photos and videos released by the army on Telegram show firefighters trying to extinguish the flames that were consuming a supermarket, from which a column of smoke was coming out.
Russia and Ukraine have increased their attacks in the Black Sea since Moscow it came out of an agreement last month that allowed kyiv to export grain through the use of secure brokers.
Since pulling out of the deal, Moscow has regularly shelled seaports in the Odessa region of southern Ukraine that were key to exports of those products.
On August 2, Russia attacked the port structures of Izmail, in the Odessa region along the river Danube. Bordering Romania, it is one of the main routes for the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products.
The overnight missile and drone strikes come a day after Moscow said a Russian warship fired warning shots at a freighter headed for the port of Izmail.
According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, Sukra Okan ship sailed under the Palau flag. After the freighter’s captain refused to stop the ship for inspection, the Russian military opened fire into the air and boarded the ship to search its cargo. After the inspection was completed, the freighter continued on its course.
Russia warned on July 19, two days after leaving the grain agreement, that It will consider all ships heading to Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea as possible carriers of military cargo and therefore potential war targets.
During the beginning of the weekend, Ukraine was targeted by new Russian bombardments. A policeman was killed and 12 other people were injured in the Zaporizhzhia region (south).
(With information from AFP)
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Source-www.infobae.com