Russia has confirmed its role in overnight air raids on Ukrainian port cities, dubbing it a “retaliatory mass strike” following an assault on the Crimean Bridge on Monday.

The Defence Ministry of Russia disclosed that it targeted Odesa, the home of Ukraine’s navy headquarters, and Mykolaiv, close to Ukraine’s Black Sea coast. Until Monday, when an agreement with Russia collapsed, Ukraine used the Black Sea port to export essential grains worldwide.

The attack occurred the day after Russia declined to renew the Black Sea grain agreement with Ukraine. The ministry noted that the strike was aimed at facilities preparing for terrorist acts against Russia using unmanned boats. A ship repair facility near Odesa, where such boats were being manufactured, was also targeted, as per the ministry’s statement.

The ministry added that storage facilities in Mykolaiv and Odesa, holding approximately 70,000 tonnes of fuel for the Ukrainian military’s equipment, were destroyed. It confirmed that all targets had been successfully hit and demolished, with fires and explosions as proof.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian forces reported shooting down multiple explosive drones and six cruise missiles. According to the Ukrainian military’s Southern Command, Russian forces initially attempted to weaken Ukraine’s air defenses with drones before launching six Kalibr cruise missiles at Odesa. It was reported that all six missiles and 25 drones were intercepted and destroyed by air defenses in the Odesa region and southern areas.

On Monday, an attack on the Kerch Bridge, linking occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland, resulted in the death of a Russian couple and injury to their 14-year-old daughter. While Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the bridge attack, Ukrainian media cited security services as saying naval drones were used in the strike.

  Black Sea, Crimea, Kerch Bridge, Odesa, Russia, Ukraine