Odesa port hit by Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles for first time

Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that four people were wounded and that energy infrastructure, administrative buildings and port facilities were damaged. The strike caused a blackout in Odesa and surrounding regions, cutting power, heating and water supplies, while ten substations were disabled across the Odesa region. Critical infrastructure in nearby Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Kherson regions was also affected, leaving some settlements without electricity.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed launching Kinzhal missiles against multiple Ukrainian targets but did not specify locations. Moscow described the attacks as retaliation for alleged Ukrainian strikes on civilian sites in Russia.

The attacks followed Friday’s strike on a Turkish-owned bulk carrier near Chornomorsk Port in Odesa Oblast. The vessel, carrying essential food supplies, caught fire after a ballistic missile hit, but no crew members were injured. Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Turkish nationals were unharmed and reiterated concerns over maritime security in the Black Sea.

The assaults come amid heightened tensions over Ukraine’s use of maritime drones targeting Russian oil shipments and ports, and after Russian President Vladimir Putin previously threatened reprisals against Ukraine’s Black Sea infrastructure.

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