Russia and Ukraine stepped up their battle over the Black Sea and key trade routes on Wednesday, with Russian forces killing three people in an attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and Kyiv's drone forces striking Russian shipping.
Odesa region Governor Oleh Kiper said Russian drone and missile strikes on the southern region continued for a fifth day, with civilian, industrial and port infrastructure coming under attack.
Three people were killed and at least three others were injured after a Russian missile hit a seven-story residential building in Odesa, Ukrainian authorities said.
In a statement, Russia's Defense Ministry said it continued overnight strikes on Ukrainian ports it claimed were handling cargoes for the Ukrainian military.
It said a number of targets in the ports of Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk port had been hit, as well as four vessels it said were delivering cargoes for Ukraine's forces in the ports of Chornomorsk and Dnipro-Buh.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's top drone commander said Wednesday that Kyiv hit 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea overnight.
The Ukrainian attacks have forced Russia, the world's top grain exporter, to restrict shipping in the Sea of Azov — a route that handles about a quarter of its grain exports, sources told Reuters. Shipping remained restricted on Tuesday, they said.
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