A large-scale overnight Russian drone and missile attack on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa has killed at least two civilians, injured more than a dozen others and struck a foreign merchant vessel navigating a protected maritime corridor, according to Ukrainian officials and international monitoring bodies.
Local authorities said a 75-year-old couple were killed when a drone hit their residential building, while at least 13 people were injured, including a 14-year-old boy, as emergency crews continued search operations in partially collapsed apartment buildings.
The Odesa Regional Military Administration reported extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including three multi-story residential buildings, several private homes and at least 20 vehicles, describing the strikes as part of a broader escalation targeting population centers and critical logistics infrastructure.
In a development likely to heighten international concern, the Ukrainian Seaports Authority said the bulk carrier MV Aya, sailing under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was struck by two Shahed-type drones while transiting a protected Black Sea shipping corridor and was en route to load grain at an Odesa region port.
The strikes sparked a fire on the vessel’s upper deck, which the crew extinguished without injuries among the international crew, but the incident marks the first confirmed direct hit on a foreign merchant vessel in the corridor in more than three months, raising concerns over maritime safety and insurance costs.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched a massed attack involving 107 drones, mainly Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 models, along with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, adding that air defenses intercepted or disrupted 96 drones while the remainder struck energy infrastructure and port logistics facilities.
The attack coincided with a major financial and political development in Brussels, where the European Union approved a 90 billion euro loan package to support Ukraine’s economy through 2027, partially funded by proceeds from frozen Russian assets.
At the same time, the European Union adopted a new sanctions package targeting 27 oil tankers identified as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet used to bypass oil price caps.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted foreign mercenary sites and military-industrial facilities in Odesa, while Moscow has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilians despite reports of residential damage and casualties.
Following the vessel strike, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning of increased drone activity and the possible presence of floating mines in the western Black Sea, highlighting growing risks to commercial shipping in a key global grain export route.
The latest attack signals renewed escalation in southern Ukraine, with implications extending beyond the battlefield to international trade, energy markets and regional security.
