Russia attacks Odesa Oblast with ballistic missiles, at least 7 killed, 15 injured
Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
Russia attacked the port infrastructure of Odesa Oblast in southern Ukraine the night of Dec. 19, killing at least seven people and injuring 15 others, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
Russian ballistic missiles "massively attacked" a port facility in the region, Kiper said late in the evening Dec. 19. The strike killed seven people. Fifteen others have been hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the attack.
The strike also caused a fire to break out among the cargo trucks in the facility's parking lot, Kiper said.
Emergency services are at work on the scene, but continued air raid sirens are disrupting operations, he added.
Ukraine's Air Force warned of a Russian ballistic missile threat at 9 p.m. local time on Dec. 19. Minutes later, explosions were reported in Odesa Oblast.
Odesa Oblast's port infrastructure is a regular target of Russian assaults. Recent strikes against the region have caused days-long blackouts and left residents without water.
The night before the attack on the port facility, a Russian drone attack targeted transportation infrastructure in the region: a bridge on the M15 (Odesa-Reni) highway was damaged, leading neighboring Moldova to close nearby border checkpoints.
"The enemy continues to bombard our region nonstop, but we are doing everything to ensure people's safety and keep transport and logistics running," Kiper said of the bridge strike.
Another recent attack on Dec. 13 was described by Kiper as "one of the largest" overnight attacks since the start of Russia's full-scale war.
Russia has targeted civilian energy and utility systems across Ukraine as part of its broader campaign against critical infrastructure.
