Russia attacked Ukrainian port cities today, killing at least three people, Reuters reported, citing local authorities, BTA reported.
Three civilian ships flying foreign flags were damaged in a Russian drone attack on port infrastructure in the city of Nikolaev - on the Southern Bug River before it flows into the Black Sea, the regional prosecutor's office said. One of the strikes, which took place early this morning, killed two Ukrainians aboard one of the foreign vessels, the prosecutor's office added.
A third person was killed in a Russian attack on Odessa, local authorities said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian port facilities in Odessa and Chernomorsk were attacked last night.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian sea transport arteries during the war, but in recent weeks the attacks have intensified. The main focus of the Russian attacks has become the deep-water ports, where much of the grain and other cargo vital to Ukraine's wartime economy is processed.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army announced today that it had struck a Russian oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian army said on Telegram that the attack caused fires at the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery. The statement added that two Russian oil and gas tankers were also attacked in the Black Sea.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium announced that an attack was carried out last night on an oil tanker it had chartered in Russian territorial waters and that a fire broke out as a result of the attack.
An emergency crew extinguished the flames and evacuated 13 people, while nine crew members chose to remain on board.