Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday that it carried out strikes on the Ukrainian port cities of Odesa and Chornomorsk, targeting port infrastructure and vessels that it described as supporting Ukrainian military operations.
In an official statement, the ministry said its latest actions struck a dry-cargo ship while it was unloading at Chornomorsk port. The ministry also reported hits on a military cargo store and on tanks holding fuel and lubricants. At Odesa, the statement said loading and storage facilities were damaged and that two additional vessels - a dry-cargo ship and a bulk carrier - transporting cargo to Odesa for the Ukrainian military were struck.
Russian drones were also reported to have hit three warehouses that the defence ministry said were storing Ukrainian drones. The ministry released a further statement late on Wednesday evening, posted on Telegram, saying that over the course of the day Russian drones had struck four cargo ships and a bulk carrier in Black Sea waters and in the port of Chornomorsk. According to that statement, the ships hit were carrying cargoes that benefited the Ukrainian military.
The ministry's account of the strikes includes specific logistical targets - merchant vessels at berth or at sea, storage tanks for fuel and lubricants, and loading and warehousing facilities - which the statement identified as supporting military supply chains. The announcement did not include independently verifiable evidence, and the claim could not be independently verified.
Nearly four and a half years into the conflict, both sides have increased military operations in and around the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The ministry's comments come amid a period of intensified attacks on maritime traffic, with each side having struck dozens of ships, including oil tankers and cargo vessels, according to public accounts.
The defence ministry's description focused on strikes carried out by drones and other means against assets it said were linked to military logistics. Details in the ministry statements emphasize damage to port-side infrastructure and to merchant vessels that authorities said were handling military-related cargo.
Note: The claims reported here reflect the content of statements released by the Russian defence ministry. Independent verification of those claims was not available at the time of reporting.