A Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region late Friday night killed at least eight people and injured 27 others, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow continues to escalate attacks on the strategic Black Sea port area.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the strike hit port infrastructure in the town of Pivdenne, a key logistics hub near Odesa. Several of the victims were civilians traveling on a bus that was caught in the blast, according to emergency officials.
The attack is part of a sustained Russian campaign against Odesa that has stretched over more than a week. Ukrainian authorities say continuous strikes have damaged port facilities, civilian vessels, and critical infrastructure, leaving large parts of the city and surrounding areas without electricity for days.
Odesa has long been a strategic target due to its importance for Ukraine’s maritime trade and grain exports. In recent months, Russia has increased the scale and intensity of its attacks, launching large waves of drones and missiles simultaneously to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses.
As winter sets in, Moscow has increasingly focused on targeting Ukraine’s energy network, aiming to disrupt heating and power supplies for millions of civilians.
Regional officials also confirmed that two major bridges linking the northern and southern parts of the Odesa region were damaged in recent strikes. Repair work is underway, but the damage has further complicated transportation and emergency response efforts.
Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, said the attacks underscore Russia’s continued efforts to cripple both civilian life and economic infrastructure in southern Ukraine.
The Kremlin has not commented on the latest strike. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, despite mounting evidence documented by Ukrainian authorities and international observers.