Three killed as Russian bombing of Odesa continues

Three people have been killed following an overnight Russian attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa, according to a local official.

Governor of Odesa region Oleh Kiper said the “massive” drone and missile strike marked the fifth day in which Russia has attacked the region.

The Russian ministry of defence said it had deliberately targeted port infrastructure, “used for the unloading of petroleum, oil, and lubricants”.

The attacks come as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Kyiv to discuss co-operation between European and Ukrainian defence industries.

Writing on Telegram, Kiper accused Russia of deliberately targeting the civilian population, as well as industrial and port infrastructure in the area.

He said residents were killed and injured when a Russian missile struck a multi-storey residential building.

He added that a non-residential building and a gas pipeline were also hit.

In its statement, Russia claimed to have targeted sites involved in the manufacture of military hardware, and the transport of cargo.

Russia’s attacks in recent days have targeted Ukraine’s deepwater Black Sea ports in the wider Odesa area, which handle much of the country’s grain and other cargo and are vital to its wartime economy.

Read more: BBC News