Russia ship

Ukraine says Russia struck civilian ship near Odesa

The Ukrainian air force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, said in a statement that at the time of the attack carried out by Ukrainian tactical aviation, “one of the most modern ships of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was at the shipyard — carrier of the Kalibr cruise missiles.” He didn’t say directly, however, that this particular ship was damaged by the strike.

A Ukrainian missile strike on a shipyard in Crimea damages a Russian ship

The Russian military said a Ukrainian missile strike on a shipyard in annexed Crimea had damaged a Russian ship.

The Russian Defense Ministry said late Saturday that Ukrainian forces fired 15 cruise missiles at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch, a city in the east of the Crimean Peninsula. Air defenses shot down 13 missiles but others hit the shipyard and damaged a vessel, a statement from the ministry said.

The ministry didn’t give details about the ship or the extent of the damage.

The Ukrainian air force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, said in a statement that at the time of the attack carried out by Ukrainian tactical aviation, “one of the most modern ships of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was at the shipyard — carrier of the Kalibr cruise missiles.” He didn’t say directly, however, that this particular ship was damaged by the strike.

The Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine 20 months ago. Crimea has served as the key hub supporting the invasion.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent months. In September, a Ukrainian missile strike on a strategic shipyard in the port city of Sevastopol damaged two Russian ships and wounded 24 people. Later that same month, a missile strike blasted the Crimean headquarters of Russia’s navy in Sevastopol.

Commenting on Saturday’s strike, head of Ukraine’s presidential office Andriy Yermak said in a Telegram post on Sunday morning that “life constantly proves that there won’t be (Russia’s) Black Sea fleet in Crimea.”

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said a Russian missile strike killed troops and injured civilians in the Zaporizhzhia area late Friday. Details about the attack, reportedly carried out by an Iskander ballistic missile, have not been made public.

A video posted on social media claimed the strike landed on a group of soldiers gathered for a ceremony to honor fellow soldiers. There was no immediate confirmation on the number of dead and injured. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said he has ordered an investigation.

A deadly missile strike on a Ukrainian village on Oct. 5 killed 59 civilians attending the wake for a local soldier who died fighting Russian troops.

Russia ship

Russia has fired a missile at a Liberia-flagged civilian ship entering a port in the Black Sea region of Odesa, according to the Ukrainian army. A harbour pilot was killed and four of the ship’s crew were injured in the attack on Wednesday.

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“The missile hit the structure of a civilian vessel flying the Liberian flag as it was entering the port,” the army said. “Three crew members, citizens of the Philippines, were injured, one of them was hospitalised. The pilot was killed and another port worker was injured,” it added. Since a United Nations-brokered deal guaranteeing safe passage for civilian ships fell through in July, both Kyiv and Moscow have ramped up military activity and attacks in the Black Sea. “Continuing the terror of civilian shipping, the enemy insidiously fired an Kh-31P anti-radar missile in the direction of one of the ports of Odesa region from tactical aircraft in the Black Sea,” the Ukrainian army said. The collapse of the UN-backed grain export deal prompted Moscow to warn that any ships entering Ukrainian ports could be viewed as potential military targets. Ukraine subsequently announced the launch of a new “humanitarian corridor” – a sea route for civilian ships – that avoids international waters. But Russia has continued to attack Ukraine’s grain-exporting ports and infrastructure. EU membership prospects On Wednesday, the European Union’s executive recommended opening formal membership talks with Ukraine, as soon as it meets final conditions, in a major show of support for Kyiv in its battle against Russia. “This is a strong and historic step that paves the way to a stronger EU with Ukraine as its member,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media. Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine would still try to deliver battlefield results by the end of the year and that he remained sure Kyiv would eventually have success in the war despite difficulties at the front. Acknowledging the slow progress of Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the occupied south, in an interview by video link at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York, he also touted a Ukrainian battlefield plan for 2024 that he said he could not disclose. His tone contrasted with the gloomier assessment last week of his commander-in-chief who said the fighting now in its 21st month might be heading towards a deadlock and a war of attrition that could play into Russia’s hands.

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