Russia and Ukraine have intensified their confrontation in the Black Sea, with renewed attacks targeting key ports and shipping routes that are vital to both countries' economies and military operations.
Ukrainian officials said three people were killed and at least three others injured after a Russian missile struck a seven-storey residential building in the port city of Odesa on Wednesday.
According to Odesa Regional Governor Oleh Kiper, the southern region endured a fifth consecutive day of large-scale Russian drone and missile attacks, with civilian, industrial and port infrastructure among the targets.
Russia has significantly increased strikes on Ukraine's deepwater ports in the Greater Odesa area in recent days. The facilities play a crucial role in exporting grain and other goods, making them central to Ukraine's wartime economy.
The sustained bombardment has disrupted port operations and heightened concerns over the security of Black Sea trade routes.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has expanded its campaign to disrupt Russian military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine and to isolate Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Ukraine's drone forces claimed a series of successful strikes against Russian vessels operating in the Black Sea.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones struck 20 Russian vessels overnight.
He also said Ukrainian forces had hit 116 vessels in the Sea of Azov during the month, underscoring Kyiv's efforts to challenge Russian maritime operations.
Sources told Reuters the Ukrainian attacks had forced Russia to impose restrictions on shipping in the Sea of Azov, a strategically important route that handles around a quarter of the country's grain exports.
The restrictions remained in place on Tuesday, according to the sources, potentially affecting one of Russia's most significant export corridors.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its armed forces carried out overnight strikes on Ukrainian ports that it alleged were handling cargo intended for the Ukrainian military.
According to the ministry, targets in the ports of Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk were struck, along with four vessels that Russia claimed were delivering military supplies to Ukrainian forces at the ports of Chornomorsk and the Dnipro-Buh estuary.
On Tuesday, Governor Kiper reported that two people had been killed in a Russian drone attack on port infrastructure in the Odesa region.
He also said a civilian cargo vessel sailing under the Marshall Islands flag was damaged in the attack.
Ukraine's leading grain exporter, Kernel, announced that it had suspended operations at Chornomorsk port following the latest Russian strikes. The company also reported damage to its vegetable oil terminal in the Odesa region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Ukraine's attacks on shipping in the Sea of Azov as "terrorism", while Russia's Agriculture Ministry acknowledged that grain exports could be redirected through alternative routes if the disruptions continue.
The latest escalation highlights the growing importance of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as both sides seek to weaken each other's military logistics and economic lifelines, with shipping infrastructure increasingly becoming a focal point of the conflict.
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