Russian Shaheds hit near Moldova-border crossing, burn food cargo, and black out 13,000 in Odesa Oblast

Russian drones struck near the Moldova border crossing on 20 August, damaging food cargo and causing a power outage for 13,000 people in Odesa Oblast, according to Odesa Oblast head Oleh Kiper. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian drones had targeted a checkpoint on Ukraine's border with Moldova. The intensity of these attacks on Ukraine's southern Danube region, bordering Moldova and Romania, has prompted neighboring countries to close airspace, scramble aircraft, and shoot down drones.

The Odesa Oblast Military Administration reported that the strikes disrupted power in multiple communities, with repairs now underway. Two trailers carrying food products caught fire in another location, but firefighters managed to extinguish both blazes without any casualties. The Reni community, situated near the Reni–Giurgiulești international checkpoint, was hit by a Shahed-136 drone, which flew from Ukraine's southwestern Odesa Oblast to Moldova's autonomous Gagauzia region before returning to Ukrainian airspace.