A Russian drone attack damaged port infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings early on Wednesday, wounding three people in the southern Ukrainian city of Izmail on the River Danube, according to local officials. The attack resulted in a fire and damage to several buildings in the port and three trucks, stated Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region.
Officials reported that a five-storey residential building had its windows and stairwells smashed, and part of its facade ruined. Ukrainian air defences successfully shot down 17 of 23 drones launched from Russian territory and the occupied Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, as per the air force.
Most drones were downed over the southern Odesa region, it was noted. “The enemy attacked the southern regions with attack drones. Port infrastructure has been their target again,” the southern military command said on the Telegram messaging app.
Izmail and other Danube river ports are crucial for Ukraine’s fuel imports. The demand for fuel has surged in Ukraine as businesses and residents rely more on generators for electricity during persistent blackouts.
Since March, Russia has ramped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s power sector and other energy infrastructure, disabling about half of the country’s available generation capacity and causing prolonged blackouts nationwide.
(With inputs from agencies.)