Russia attacks Odesa with missiles, drones, injuring 1

Russian forces launched six Kalibr cruise missiles and a significant number of Shahed kamikaze drones against Odesa Oblast, injuring at least one resident, the Operational Command "South" reported on July 18.

"Several waves of attack drones were aimed at revealing and wearing out air defenses. Afterward, six Kalibr missiles were launched from the Black Sea against Odesa," the report said.

The military noted that all missiles were shot down but debris and the blast wave resulting from their destruction damaged port infrastructure, several private houses, and injured an elderly man in his home.

Some 21 Shahed-136/131 Shahed drones were destroyed on approach from the sea over Odesa Oblast, and four more over Mykolaiv Oblast, the Operational Command "South" informed.

An industrial facility in Mykoliav caught fire but there were no causalities, the report added.

In the early hours of July 18, local officials informed of waves of drone attacks against southern Ukraine, with explosions reported in Odesa around 2:30 a.m. local time.

Explosions reported at Crimean Bridge, Russia blames Ukraine

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack against the Crimean Bridge, which connects the occupied peninsula with Russia’s Krasnodar Oblast, on July 17.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek