Russian strike hits port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast, sparking fire
Russian forces targeted port infrastructure in the Izmail district of Odesa Oblast during an overnight strike on August 13, local authorities reported.
On August 13, Russian forces struck port infrastructure in Izmail district of Odesa Oblast, igniting a fire at the target location. The attack was carried out using Russian drones, according to local authorities. Earlier, on August 6, German bulk carrier Emil faced a similar assault from Russian drones in the Black Sea, forcing its crew to evacuate amidst fire due to disabled navigation systems and obstructed steering.
The strikes also impacted the Mera Queen, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier carrying grain, causing damage to its infrastructure. According to Ukrainian Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotsky, Russia orchestrated 35 attacks on ships in ports, 22 on vessels at sea, and 67 on port infrastructure in July. This wave of attacks led to an abrupt suspension of calls to ports near Odesa, disrupting vessel traffic for nearly two weeks, coinciding with the peak of the summer harvest.
Shipowners halted port calls due to escalating security concerns, with the suspension taking effect on July 22. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced that Ukraine had sought an urgent UN Security Council meeting to address the halted traffic in the Black Sea maritime corridor.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
