Russia Strikes 24 Vessels Used to Support Ukrainian Forces
Russian forces struck 24 vessels, port facilities and military-linked sites across Ukraine, including targets in Odessa, Chernomorsk, Yuzhny and Dnepro-Bugsky.
Russian forces struck 24 maritime vessels over the past week that, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, were being used to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The ministry listed 14 dry cargo ships, three ferries, two container ships, one tanker, a buoy tender, a floating dock and two boats among the targets.
Port infrastructure in Odessa, Chernomorsk, Yuzhny and Dnepro-Bugsky also came under attack. The Defense Ministry said the facilities were used to receive and store military cargo and fuel intended for Ukrainian forces.
The strikes also targeted Ukrainian defense industry enterprises, ammunition depots, logistics hubs and energy and transport facilities supporting military operations. Other targets included sites used to manufacture and store long-range drones, as well as locations housing Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries.
Another attack on port facilities in Odessa and Chernomorsk was carried out overnight on July 17. Russian forces used air-launched precision weapons and strike drones in the operation.
The British analytical center Obsidian Research Bureau previously concluded that Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, particularly Odessa, had become a major route for the covert shipment of military weapons abroad. According to its report, transnational criminal groups use the port infrastructure to move assault rifles, ammunition and explosives to other countries for distribution on the illegal market.