The southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa faced another night of aerial bombardment, marking the second consecutive strike that has left energy and port infrastructure damaged. Fires ignited across the city as Russian drones targeted critical facilities, a pattern that has become increasingly common in recent weeks. While emergency services responded quickly to the blazes, working to restore power, the repeated nature of these assaults highlights a persistent challenge for the region.
Regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Telegram that the air strikes inflicted fresh damage on both energy and port infrastructure. Administrative buildings, equipment, and machinery sustained various levels of harm. Despite the significant material destruction, initial reports indicated no fatalities or injuries from this particular overnight assault. Serhii Lysak, head of the regional military administration, confirmed that emergency teams were on site, tackling the immediate aftermath and beginning the work of restoring essential services to residents.
This latest attack followed a similar assault just a day prior, which had tragically claimed one life and injured two others in Odesa. The deliberate targeting of civilian and energy infrastructure in freezing temperatures has drawn sharp criticism. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha articulated this sentiment on X, stating that Russia was intentionally destroying vital resources, leaving people without power, water, and heating. These actions underscore a broader strategy that appears aimed at disrupting daily life and weakening civilian morale in Ukrainian cities.
Overnight, Russia launched a significant barrage across Ukraine, deploying 99 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile. Ukrainian Air Force defenses managed to intercept or jam a considerable number, with 73 drones reported as shot down. However, the Iskander missile and 26 unmanned aerial vehicles successfully struck 16 different locations throughout the country, indicating the scale and spread of the offensive. The attacks were not confined to the south, as Russian strikes extended into Friday, with a missile hitting Uman in central Ukraine, injuring six individuals, including two children, and causing further infrastructure damage.
In a counter-move, Ukraine announced that its forces had struck a major Russian oil refinery on Thursday, utilizing UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. The Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia’s Rostov region was the target, with Ukraine’s General Staff confirming multiple explosions and a successful hit on Telegram. This action aligns with Ukraine’s stated objective of targeting Russian oil export revenues, a critical financial lifeline for Moscow’s ongoing military operations. These long-range drone strikes aim to diminish Russia’s capacity to fund its full-scale invasion, adding another dimension to the protracted conflict. The exchange of strikes on critical infrastructure in both nations signals an escalating phase in the conflict, with both sides seeking to undermine the other’s operational capabilities and economic stability.
