A Russian missile attack on the port infrastructure of Odesa has killed two people and left six others injured, Ukrainian officials reported.
The strike, which occurred on 3 July, hit one of the berths at the Odesa seaport as workers were unloading metal from a foreign vessel registered under the São Tomé and Príncipe flag, said Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba.
Among the victims were a dockworker and a truck driver, while the wounded included two Syrian nationals who were part of the ship’s crew, as reported by Reuters.
The attack caused significant damage to port facilities, including cranes, vehicles, and warehouses.
READ: EU proposes Black Sea security hub to counter Russian threats
Odesa’s port is vital to Ukraine’s economy, handling about 90 per cent of the country’s exports, such as grain and metals.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, cited by Reuters, described the strike as part of a broader Russian campaign targeting Ukraine’s economic infrastructure and global food security: “This is not an isolated incident; rather, it is part of Russia’s targeted campaign against Ukraine’s economy and agriculture, as well as global food security and freedom of navigation.”
Reuters highlights that Russian forces have increased attacks on Ukrainian ports since Kyiv established a maritime corridor along the Black Sea’s western coast in response to the collapse of the UN-backed grain export agreement in 2023.
Since launching this corridor in August 2023, Ukraine has exported over 101 million tonnes of food cargo, including 78.5 million tonnes of grain, through Odesa’s ports.
In May, two Russian ballistic missiles struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa, costing three lives and injuring five. The HHLA Container Terminal Odesa was impacted by the strike, with Hamburg-based HHLA confirming the fatalities.
