
Russia has significantly intensified air strikes on Ukraine's southern Odessa region, causing widespread power outages and serious damage to port infrastructure. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Moscow was carrying out "systematic" attacks, warning that the focus of the war could be shifting to the strategic region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the repeated attacks were aimed at blocking Ukraine's access to maritime logistics and paralyzing exports. He stressed that without international pressure on Russia, the aggression would not stop.
On Monday evening, attacks hit Odessa's port infrastructure, damaging a civilian ship. Over the past few days, more than 120,000 residents have been left without electricity, while fires caused by the attacks have destroyed dozens of containers of flour and vegetable oil. Last week, a ballistic missile attack on the port of Pivdenniy killed eight people and injured at least 30 others.
Odessa remains vital to Ukraine's economy, as other ports in the south are inaccessible due to the Russian occupation. As of August 2023, the city is the main point of the maritime corridor for grain exports, preserving Ukraine's role as one of the world's largest exporters of wheat and corn.
Meanwhile, US-led diplomatic efforts have not yielded concrete progress towards ending the war. Russia has accused EU countries of obstructing potential agreements, while stating that it has no intention of attacking the EU or NATO.