Three killed as Russian bombing of Odesa continues

Three people have been killed following an overnight Russian attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa, according to a local official.

Governor of Odesa region Oleh Kiper said the “massive” drone and missile strike marked the fifth day in which Russia has attacked the region.

The Russian ministry of defence said it had deliberately targeted port infrastructure, “used for the unloading of petroleum, oil, and lubricants”.

The attacks come as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Kyiv to discuss co-operation between European and Ukrainian defence industries.

Writing on Telegram, Kiper accused Russia of deliberately targeting the civilian population, as well as industrial and port infrastructure in the area.

He said residents were killed and injured when a Russian missile struck a multi-storey residential building.

He added that a non-residential building and a gas pipeline were also hit.

In its statement, Russia claimed to have targeted sites involved in the manufacture of military hardware, and the transport of cargo.

Russia’s attacks in recent days have targeted Ukraine’s deepwater Black Sea ports in the wider Odesa area, which handle much of the country’s grain and other cargo and are vital to its wartime economy.

Also overnight, Ukraine said its drones hit 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea.

It follows intensive attacks on Russian ships in the Sea of Azov, which sits between Crimea, Ukraine’s eastern coastline, and Russia.

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, according to news agency Reuters.

As the attacks continue, Ukraine is attempting to navigate a tumultuous political situation which has seen President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko after less than a year in the post.

A motion to accept Svyrydenko’s resignation was passed in Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday, despite some lawmakers questioning whether the reason for the change had been explained.

Serhiy Koretskyi, the head of state oil and gas firm Naftogaz, is seen as a likely successor to Svyrydenko, with parliament set to vote on the appointment on Thursday.

On Wednesday morning, Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv, writing on social media that it was a “special moment” and that it was her 11th visit to the country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

She said the new initiatives she was set to announce would allow both sides to “produce more, and faster”.