Three people were killed and at least three others were injured as a result of a Russian missile and drone attack on Odesa overnight. This was reported by Oleg Kipper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration. A missile damaged a multi-storey residential block; damage was also reported to a gas pipeline, a company warehouse and a petrol station.
Briefly about the main points
- Three people were killed in Odessa as a result of a Russian attack.
- At least three people were injured.
- A rocket damaged a multi-storey residential block.
- The OVA also reported damage to a gas pipeline, a warehouse and a petrol station.
- Ukraine has claimed to have sunk 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea.
A blow to a residential building
Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Oleg Kiper He reported that the Russians had launched a massive combined missile and drone strike on the region. According to him, the attacks have been ongoing for the fifth day in a row.
In Odesa, a missile struck a high-rise block of flats. People were killed and injured as a result of this strike, Kipper reported. In addition to the residential building, a gas pipeline, a company warehouse and a petrol station were damaged.
Moscow’s statements regarding the objectives of the attack
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the targets were port infrastructure which, according to the Russian side, was being used to unload and store fuel for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as facilities for the production of military equipment and the transport of goods.
This statement by the Russian Federation does not alter the consequences of the strike on a residential high-rise building, as reported by the Ukrainian authorities. Over the past few days, Russian attacks have also targeted deep-water ports in the Odesa region, through which a significant proportion of of Ukrainian grain and other goods.
Ukraine has announced strikes against Russian vessels
On the night of 15 July, the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi reported that 20 Russian vessels had been hit in the Black Sea. According to his information, these included 17 oil tankers, two gas carriers and a tugboat.
Brovdi linked this operation to previous ones blows to shipping in the Sea of Azov. Reuters reported on 14 July that, following Ukrainian attacks, Russia was preparing to reroute some of its exports: ship traffic in the sea was possible, but entry and exit via the Kerch Strait were hampered. Around a quarter of Russia’s grain exports pass through this route.
The extent of the damage to vessels reported by the Ukrainian side requires independent verification. At the same time, the sequence of events points to an escalation of reciprocal attacks on maritime and fuel logistics in the Black and Azov Seas.
Von der Leyen’s visit to Kyiv
Against the backdrop of the attacks President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv. She described this trip as her 11th since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Von der Leyen announced new initiatives aimed at cooperation between the defence industries of Ukraine and the EU. According to her, these are intended to enable both sides to «produce more and faster». As of the morning of 15 July, no details of the package had been made public.
