One injured in Russian attack on OdesaUkraine’s southern port of Odesa was hit by Russian missiles overnight, destroying grain stores, the Ukrainian military said Monday.
Russia “attacked the south of the country again”, the Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said on the messaging platform Telegram.
Since July when Moscow pulled out of a UN-brokered deal allowing safe grain shipments via the Black Sea, Russia has ramped up attacks on Ukraine’s grain-exporting infrastructure in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian southern military command, said Russia was apparently “trying to test out the density of the air defence”.
They understand that port infrastructure is a priority for our region, and that it is reliably protected. However, that is why the attack that occurred tonight was both massive and by combined means.
The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said Russia directed 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles at Odesa, and fired 12 Kalibr missiles.
They claimed all 19 Shaheds and 11 Kalibrs “were shot down”.
One woman was injured and port infrastructure was damaged in Russia’s overnight missile and drone attack, Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, said early on Monday.
A fire broke out in a non-residential high-rise in the city of Odesa, the administrative centre of the Odesa region, as a result of the attack, but was promptly extinguished, Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
– AFP and Reuters
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An air alert has been declared in Mykolaiv.
Tass reports that the Russian ministry of defence has reported that it destroyed Ukrainian drones that were over the north-western part of the Black Sea near occupied Crimea, as well as over the Kursk and Bryansk regions. It claims to have shot down eight aircraft-type drones in total.
Russia unilaterally claimed to annex Crimea in 2014.
Ukraine’s military and emergency services have issued some watermarked photographs of the damage caused in Odesa overnight. Here is a selection.
A view shows damaged buildings in Odesa. Photograph: Defence Forces Southern Ukraine/ReutersFirefighters work at a site of a hotel damaged by an attack in Odesa. Photograph: State Emergency Service Of Ukraine/ReutersA view shows a damaged building in Odesa. Photograph: Defence Forces Southern Ukraine/ReutersFirefighters on the scene of an attack on Odesa. Photograph: State Emergency Service Of Ukraine/ReutersRussia’s investigative committee has announced on the Telegram messaging app that it is opening investigations into Ukrainian attacks on occupied Zaporizhzhia, and also on the Belgorod region, which is within Russia’s internationally recognised borders. It writes:
As a result of the shelling of the armed forces of Ukraine in the city of Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia region, according to preliminary data, one person was killed and at least thirteen were injured. Three children were among the victims. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were also damaged.
In addition, the executive authorities of the Belgorod region reported that the village of Novy Volokonovsky district was attacked by the Ukrainian armed forces. A drone was used to drop an explosive device on a passing car. The driver was injured and received the necessary medical assistance.
Sledcom frequently posts such messages. Russia claimed to have annexed Zaporizhzhia from Ukraine late last year.
This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can contact me at [email protected].
Russia has been able to dodge G7 price cap sanctions on its oil exports.
The Financial Times reports that Russia has managed to evade sanctions by relying on a fleet of tankers which do not operate with G7 insurance to ship its oil exports.
Using this method Russia has managed to find enough tankers to move three-quarters of its production.
Thanks to high prices and a reduced discount on Russian oil since July, it’s thought the Russia government stands to gain $15bn this year.
Eleven-year-old friends David and Oleg are seen inside a damaged building after a Russian attack in Staryi Saltiv town of Kharkiv. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesFew residents remain in the Staryi Saltiv town, struggling to survive among the rubble. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesA man is seen in front of a damaged building. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesAlyona looks out from the balcony of her house damaged during the Russian attack. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesOne injured in Russian attack on OdesaUkraine’s southern port of Odesa was hit by Russian missiles overnight, destroying grain stores, the Ukrainian military said Monday.
Russia “attacked the south of the country again”, the Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said on the messaging platform Telegram.
Since July when Moscow pulled out of a UN-brokered deal allowing safe grain shipments via the Black Sea, Russia has ramped up attacks on Ukraine’s grain-exporting infrastructure in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian southern military command, said Russia was apparently “trying to test out the density of the air defence”.
They understand that port infrastructure is a priority for our region, and that it is reliably protected. However, that is why the attack that occurred tonight was both massive and by combined means.
The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said Russia directed 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles at Odesa, and fired 12 Kalibr missiles.
They claimed all 19 Shaheds and 11 Kalibrs “were shot down”.
One woman was injured and port infrastructure was damaged in Russia’s overnight missile and drone attack, Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, said early on Monday.
A fire broke out in a non-residential high-rise in the city of Odesa, the administrative centre of the Odesa region, as a result of the attack, but was promptly extinguished, Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
– AFP and Reuters
A Ukraine drone attack on Russia’s Kursk region damaged several private houses and an administrative building, while two Ukraine-launched drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, local governors said on Monday.
According to preliminary information, there were no casualties as a result of either of the attacks, the governors said in separate statements on the Telegram messaging app.
The scale of the attack on the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, was not immediately known. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has been saying in recent months that destroying Russia’s military infrastructure helps Kyiv’s counteroffensive.
– Reuters
The Institute for Study of War (ISW) says a “very dynamic situation” has developed in the Ukrainian counteroffensive around Orikhiv in western Zaporizhia oblast.
According to its latest report, Ukrainian forces have been engaged in an assault at the southern-most point of a salient that has penetrated Russian lines. Russian forces in the area near Novoprokopivka have reportedly been on the defensive, with the ISW saying separate Russian units on the western and eastern flanks of the salient have been engaged in counterattacks in an effort to relieve the mounting pressure.
Tonight’s report covers a very dynamic situation in the ongoing UKR counteroffensive near Orikhiv in w. Zaporizhia. The tactical situation is likely changing rapidly & it’s too soon to forecast if UKR will achieve an operational breakthrough in the sector🧵https://t.co/9buwsYlhky pic.twitter.com/2F3pg3HnfP
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 25, 2023The ISW says Russian sources report that Ukrainian forces entered Verbove on 22 September and have continued their operations in the area into Saturday. The report also noted speculation among Russian forces that a Ukrainian attack in the area could isolate the 56th VDV regiment, but did not make an assessment about these claims.
It did, however, note that Russian forces appear to have committed their forces to initial defensive lines and have so far not taken the decision to fall back to other prepared lines of defence.
However, the ISW says that the “Ukrainian counteroffensive is in an extremely dynamic phase” and that the organisation is “not prepared to offer any confident forecast of events despite recent positive indicators”.
Opening SummaryWelcome back to our ongoing coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is Royce Kurmelovs and here’s a snapshot of the latest to bring you up to speed.
Air raid alerts sounded across all Ukrainian regions on early on Monday morning with the air force warning of incoming missile and drone strikes. Explosions were reported in Kryvyi Rih and the Black Sea port city of Odesa, which came under sustained fire from drone and missile strikes.
The attacks have injured at least one according to the regional governor, and damaged infrastructure in the city. Russian forces have been stepping up attacks on port infrastructure in recent weeks as Ukraine looks to find alternative routes to maintain grain shipments.
Meanwhile, two people were killed after Russian shelling struck the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. The region’s governor said at least eight people were also injured in the attack as Ukrainian armed forces responded to Russian advances in the east and south.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces says its fighters had repelled Russian attacks on two villages near Bakhmut. Russian forces had “tried to restore lost positions near Klishchiivka … but were unsuccessful.”
In other news:
Ukraine has launched a drone attack on Russia’s Kursk region, which has damaged several private homes and an administrative building. Two other Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region. No casualties have been reported in the attack.
The mayor of Russia’s Kursk had to cancel the Kursk City Day fireworks celebration after a Ukrainian drone struck an administrative building, damaging the roof. There have been more reports of explosions.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy handed awards to two Polish volunteers during a stopover in Poland on Saturday but did not meet any officials amid strained relations between Kyiv and Warsaw over grain imports.
An imprisoned Russian opposition figure has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia, where he was placed in a tiny “punishment cell”, his lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said.
Russia’s suspension of petrol exports will probably limit already tight supplies in the global market and have the biggest impact on countries that depend on Russian fuel supplies, the UK Ministry of Defence has said. In its latest intelligence update, the ministry said Russians had probably faced localised petrol and diesel shortages in recent weeks.
Pope Francis has said the weapons industry is a key driver of the “martyrdom” of Ukraine’s people in the war with Russia, saying countries should not “play games” by promising weapons and then withholding them as this would only continue their misery. The Associated Press reports that the pontiff appeared to refer to Poland’s recent announcement that it was no longer sending arms to Ukraine when reporters asked him about the war as he was returning to Rome from a visit to Marseille, France.
The Russian-installed head of the Donetsk oblast has imposed a curfew banning the presence of civilians on streets and in public places from 11pm until 4am from Mondays to Fridays, Reuters reported. Denis Pushilin published a decree on Sunday that forbade assemblies, rallies and demonstrations, in addition to other mass events, in the Russian-controlled parts of the Donetsk oblast – unless they were permitted by the local operational headquarters for military threat response.
The European Commission has sent another €1.5bn in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. The commission has pledged a total of €18bn to Ukraine – the country has already received €12bn. The funds go towards keeping essential public services running, such as hospitals, schools and housing for relocated citizens, as well as paying wages and pensions.