Russia strikes Ukraine port near Romanian border, Kyiv reports downing Moscow's drones
text_fields
Kyiv: Amid escalating tensions in the region, Ukraine announced on Sunday that it had successfully neutralised 22 Russian drones in the southern Odesa region. This development comes as Moscow claimed responsibility for striking the Danube port of Reni, which lies on the border with NATO member Romania.
Russia's targeting of Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Odesa region has been ongoing for several weeks. This aggressive approach followed Russia's exit from a deal that had previously ensured safe passage for ships carrying grain from Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine's Air Force, in a statement on Telegram, reported the events of September 3, 2023. According to their account, Russian occupiers initiated multiple waves of attacks using 'Shahed-136/131' UAVs from the south and southeast. Of the 25 Iranian-made attack drones launched, Ukrainian forces, in coordination with air defence units and other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, successfully destroyed 22 of them.
However, Ukrainian prosecutors indicated that some of these drones struck the Danube area, resulting in at least two individuals sustaining injuries.
In response, the Russian military stated that its targets were "fuel storage facilities" in Reni, situated just across the Danube River from NATO and EU member Romania. Bucharest had previously condemned Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube ports of Reni and Ismail.
The situation escalated in July following the collapse of a United Nations-brokered agreement that had facilitated grain shipments from Black Sea ports. In response, Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine's southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, which house ports and critical infrastructure essential for agricultural exports.
Last month, a significant development occurred when the first civilian cargo ship, laden with goods from Ukraine, successfully navigated the Black Sea and arrived in Istanbul despite the Russian blockade.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that two additional vessels had travelled through the country's "temporary Black Sea grain corridor."
