Russia has launched a second night of air raids on Ukraine’s port city of Odesa as well as attacking the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said, while reports also emerged of explosions in the Russian-annexed Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on social media early on Wednesday that air defence systems were engaged in repelling a Russian air attack and urged residents to stay in shelters.

Ukraine’s air force said it had detected the launch of Russian Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea, without giving more details.

A video posted on social media purporting to show the aftermath of a Russian air attack on Odesa showed a multi-storey apartment building with several windows blown out and shards of glass on the street.

Air defence systems were also engaged in repelling a Russian air attack on Kyiv, the capital’s military administration said on the Telegram messaging app. A witness reported hearing blasts and smoke rising near Kyiv, according to the Reuters news agency.

Ukrainian online news reported Kyiv city military administration head Serhii Popko saying that all Russian drones that had attacked the capital were shot down.

“A difficult night of air attacks for all of Ukraine… Odesa especially. But the enemy did not forget about Kyiv either,” Popko was quoted as saying on Telegram.

The Russian attack with Iranian-made Shahed drones had come “to no avail”, he was quoted as saying, adding that no casualties or damage to infrastructure had yet been reported.

The attacks on Odesa, one of Ukraine’s main ports for exporting grain, followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday, which Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

Shortly after the Crimean Bridge was hit on Monday, Moscow withdrew from an agreement allowing the export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, a move the United Nations said risked creating hunger around the world.

Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel early on Wednesday morning that Russia’s attacks were designed to frighten the world and those who want to see the export of vital grain supplies from Ukraine continue.

“[They’re] are trying to scare the whole world, especially those who want to work for the grain corridor … Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations,” Bratchuk said.

 “But I think that all normal, rational people will look and say: Odesa was not afraid, is not afraid and will not be afraid – we will work,” he said.

Online news in Ukraine also said early on Wednesday morning that residents of Sevastopol, the capital of Russian-annexed Crimea, reported hearing explosions in the port city where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based. Online footage also purported to show missiles being launched from Sevastopol.

There were no further details or independent confirmation of events in Sevastopol.

Ukraine’s Air Force also warned of a probable Russian cruise missile launched from the Black Sea overnight as all of the eastern part of Ukraine was under air raid alerts, which started soon after midnight on Wednesday.

Pro-Kremlin military bloggers said the attacks on Odesa were “massive” and Moscow was using a combination of missiles and drones on the city and other regions.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

On Tuesday, Russia’s defence ministry said it had hit military targets in two Ukrainian port cities overnight as “a mass revenge strike” in response to the attack on the Crimean Bridge.

Source: Al Jazeera 

BDST: 0947 HRS, JULY 19, 2023
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