Ship strike near Odesa kills 10 as drones target Moscow region
Ukrainian and Russian officials reported deadly strikes at sea and inside Russia as the war's long-range attacks intensified.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
A Russian strike on a ship near Odesa killed at least 10 people, Ukrainian officials said, adding to a deadly month for the southern port region. Hours later, Russian officials said Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow and nearby districts, wounding at least 10 people and setting buildings on fire.
Ukraine’s seaports authority said Russia hit a Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel carrying corn near the port city on Monday. The authority said the crew included citizens of India and Syria, and officials said eight crew members were rescued.
Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said Russian attacks in the Odesa region have killed 28 people so far in July. He told Ukrainian television that the region has faced daily shelling this month, with some days bringing 13 to 15 air raid alerts.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces struck fuel reservoirs at Odesa’s port. The ministry did not describe the target as a civilian ship.
Russia has increased attacks on Ukraine, often using ballistic missiles, while Kyiv is short of Patriot interceptor munitions needed to stop them. The Odesa strike followed one of the war’s heaviest ballistic missile barrages against Kyiv, according to Ukrainian accounts reported a day earlier.
Moscow region reports drone damage
Ukraine has also increased long-range attacks on Russian territory. Russian officials said drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, injuring at least 10 people.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 400 enemy drones were launched toward the Moscow region between 8:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time. He said Russian air defences intercepted most of them, including 85 destroyed as they approached the capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had struck Russian logistics sites and an oil depot in the Moscow region, more than 400km from the Ukrainian border. In a post on X, he said Ukraine was answering Russian attacks on its cities and communities.
Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said on Telegram that air defences and electronic warfare systems responded to the drone attack. He said the main damage was reported in Podolsk, Domodedovo and the Odintsovo district.
Vorobyov said 10 people were wounded, including a child, and that three of the injured were Chinese citizens. He said preliminary information showed one person was hurt in Domodedovo after a fire at a private home, while another was injured on the M-4 highway after a drone fell near a vehicle.
Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, said it evacuated its logistics centre in the Podolsk district as a precaution before resuming normal work. The company had reported that Ukrainian drone attacks on Saturday killed at least eight warehouse workers and wounded dozens more, while another strike started a fire at an oil depot outside Moscow.
Vessels hit in Black Sea and Sea of Azov
Ukraine’s drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian drones struck seven Russian vessels on Sunday night in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. He said the targets included three tankers and four dry cargo ships.
Brovdi said the latest attacks brought the number of vessels hit in July to 183. He also said seven substations were struck in Russian-occupied Crimea.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.