At least two individuals were killed in a drone strike in Ukraine‘s southwestern Odesa region, according to Ukrainian officials on Sunday. In the meantime, Russia and Ukraine continue to target each other’s infrastructure.
Four died – including boys aged 11 and 14 – as Vladimir Putin’s forces pounded Dnipropetrovsk region. Two women were also killed and at least ten injured.
Ukraine has hit back, with initial reports suggesting a tanker in Putin’s ‘shadow fleet’ was hit.
A car park in the Odesa region on Ukraine‘s Black Sea coast was targeted by Russian drones early Sunday morning, resulting in two fatalities, as reported by the State Emergency Service. According to Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper, three others were injured.
After Russia launched an overnight attack into Sunday on the front-line Zaporizhzhia region using drones and missiles, tens of thousands of residents were left without electricity.
Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported that nearly 60,000 people were affected by power outages and two individuals were injured in the attacks. He shared images on Telegram of buildings reduced to rubble.
Ukrenergo, Ukraine‘s national energy operator, announced that several regions experienced rolling power cuts on Sunday due to attacks on Ukraine‘s power grid.
These strikes are the most recent in Russia‘s ongoing assault on Ukraine‘s energy infrastructure as harsh winter temperatures loom.
Ukrainian cities rely on centralized public infrastructure for water, sewage, and heating systems, which cease to function during blackouts.
The goal of these attacks is to undermine Ukrainian morale and disrupt weapons production and other war-related activities, nearly four years after Russia‘s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
This year, Moscow has altered its strategy, focusing on specific regions and gas infrastructure, according to analysts and officials.
The attacks have become more effective as Russia deploys hundreds of drones, some equipped with cameras that enhance targeting, overwhelming air defenses – particularly in areas where protection is weaker.
In a separate incident, Ukrainian forces launched a drone strike that set an oil tanker and infrastructure on fire at Russia‘s Tuapse port, regional officials reported Sunday.
The crew of the vessel was evacuated.
Initial reports suggested the 748ft-long vessel CHAI – sailing under the Liberian flag and part of Putin’s notorious sanctions-busting shadow fleet – was hit.
Social media channels displayed images of terminal structures and a tanker at the Black Sea port engulfed in flames, with multiple fires visible across the port area. The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.
A Ukrainian intelligence official informed The Associated Press that Ukrainian forces targeted a tanker, loading infrastructure, and port buildings.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that five drone strikes were recorded and the operation was executed by special forces of Ukraine‘s Security Service and other defense forces.
Local Russian authorities reported that “two foreign civilian ships” sustained damage.
Tuapse, which houses a major oil export terminal and a refinery owned by state-run Russian oil company Rosneft, was the target of the attack.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine‘s long-range strikes on refineries within Russia have diminished Moscow’s oil refining capacity by 20%, according to intelligence from Western governments. Oil exports are a crucial source of funding for Russia‘s invasion of its neighboring country, Ukraine.
As Ukrainian weapons target the refineries, new sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union aim to reduce Moscow’s oil and gas export earnings.