Russia rains drones, missiles on Ukraine to avenge bridge attack

To avenge a Ukrainian attack on a key Russian bridge, Moscow has launched an intense wave of night attacks by air across Ukraine, with the main target being the southern port city of Odesa.

Ukrainian officials said drones and missiles rained on Odesa for a second night in a row.

“A difficult night of air attacks for all of Ukraine”, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Ukrainian authorities reported more drones and missiles sent against more parts of Ukraine than in recent days.

Popko said the attacks were especially fierce in Odesa.

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Russia also attacked Kyiv with Iranian-made Shahed drones but with no result, said Popko. Ukrainian air defence intercepted all the drones aimed at the capital. There were no casualties.

Intense attacks

In Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, Russian drone attacks damaged some infrastructure and private homes, regional governor Vitalii Bunechko said. No casualties were reported.

Officials in the Ukrainian regions of Poltava and Kirovohradskyi also reported attacks.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the military intercepted 13 out of 16 Kalibr cruise missiles, 23 out of 32 fired Shahed-drones and one Kh-59 missile.

According to the report, Russia also fired eight cruise missiles Kh-22 and six high-precision Oniks missiles, with the Oniks missiles directed at infrastructure in the Odesa region.

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The latest barrage came one day after Russia carried out what Moscow’s Defence Ministry described as a strike of retribution on Ukrainian military facilities near Odesa and the coastal city of Mykolaiv, using sea-launched precision weapons.

Russia blames Ukraine for a July 17 strike on the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia with the Crimea. The bridge is a key artery for military and civilian supplies.

Crimea fire

Meanwhile, Russian emergency officials in Crimea said that over 2,200 people were evacuated from four villages because of a fire at a military facility.

The fire also caused the closure of an important highway, according to Sergey Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed head of the region which was annexed in 2014.

(With agency inputs)