Russian Strike on Odesa Kills Three as Ukraine Targets Black Sea Vessels

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1235 EAT on Wednesday 15 July 2026

Several people have been killed in Russian attacks on port infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv, as Kyiv said it launched drone strikes targeting 20 Russian vessels in an escalation of fighting over the Black Sea and its strategic trade routes.

Odesa Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on Wednesday that Russia’s “massive” drone and missile assault on the region had entered its fifth consecutive day, with civilian, industrial and port infrastructure among the targets.

The latest exchanges underscore the intensifying battle for control of the Black Sea, a critical corridor for global grain exports and military logistics, as both sides continue to target infrastructure and maritime assets.

At least three people were killed and three others injured in the Russian strikes on Odesa, according to the city’s military administrator, Serhiy Lysak, who issued the statement on Wednesday.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that its forces had carried out strikes on the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, saying the attacks targeted infrastructure facilities it claims are used for fuel storage and drone production.

In recent days, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports in the Greater Odesa area, which handle a significant portion of the country’s grain exports and other cargo shipments critical to the wartime economy.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has expanded its campaign to disrupt Russian military logistics in occupied areas of southern Ukraine and to weaken Moscow’s hold over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Ukraine’s drone force commander, Robert Brovdi, said Kyiv’s forces had struck 17 Russian oil tankers, two gas tankers and one tugboat in the Black Sea.

Earlier this week, Brovdi claimed that 116 Russian vessels had been “hunted down” over a nine-day period, although the claims have not been independently verified.

Moscow said on Tuesday that it was preparing to reroute exports following a series of attacks on Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of engaging in “terrorism” through attacks on maritime vessels.

-Aljazeera

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