Russia attacked Odesa twice within 24 hours, causing extensive damage to the Ukrainian Black Sea port as well as to energy infrastructure, which led to power outages affecting tens of thousands of people.
“Russia is trying to disrupt the maritime supply chain by launching systematic attacks on port and energy infrastructure,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
Odesa is of strategic importance to Ukraine as it is the country’s largest port and, before the war, two-thirds of its trade passed through it, while during the war Russia has also struck a major grain exporter there.
Odesa was founded as an ancient Greek colony in the 6th century BC and the city had and continues to have a significant Greek community presence.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said on Tuesday that Russia again attacked the country’s energy sector, causing power outages in many regions, including the capital Kyiv and the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said that talks to end the war in Ukraine are going “well.”
“Overall, it looks fairly stable at this stage,” the Ukrainian president said on Monday regarding the latest talks with US officials. “There are some things we are probably not ready for, and I am sure there are things the Russians are not ready for either.”
Sources: Guardian, New York Times
