Russian drones struck a Ukraine-Moldova border crossing in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, killing at least two people and injuring three, according to Ukrainian authorities. The incident, near the Starokozache checkpoint, prompted a temporary halt to passenger and vehicle traffic after a fire broke out, officials said.
Governor Oleh Kiper reported the fatalities and injuries on Wednesday, noting the site was in the vicinity of the Starokozache crossing. Emergency services said separate overnight strikes targeted Kyiv, causing fires but no casualties.
Ukraine-Moldova border crossing attack and wider strikes
Russia also launched attacks on the capital, where Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a drone struck a 16-storey residential building early Wednesday as responders moved to the scene. In the Mykolaiv region, Russian air strikes damaged port, transport and civilian infrastructure, leaving one person dead and several injured, a local official said.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces hit a Ukrainian cargo vessel in the Black Sea that it claimed was carrying military equipment to the port of Odesa. It also said a warehouse in Kyiv, allegedly belonging to a drone manufacturing company, was struck, according to reports carried by Russian news agencies.
Officials in Kyiv said Russia resumed near-constant air attacks on the city on Tuesday after a brief pause during the visit of United States peace negotiators. Five people were reported killed in the capital during those strikes.
The Russian defence ministry said its air defences shot down 596 Ukrainian drones overnight on Wednesday.
Incidents reported in Novorossiysk
In Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said four people were killed in Novorossiysk following attacks late Tuesday. Mayor Andrei Kravchenko reported that drone debris fell on the premises of several businesses and near a residential building.
Ukrainian authorities acknowledged operations in the area. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said vessels at a naval base in Novorossiysk were hit overnight. He said missile carriers were among the vessels “lost,” without providing numbers.
Novorossiysk, a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes, is a key hub for Russian exports of oil, oil products and grain, among other commodities. The city plays a significant role in global energy flows and oil products shipped from the region.
Odesa and Mykolaiv are major port cities central to Ukraine’s maritime trade, overseen in part by Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development. On the Russian side, military actions and statements are coordinated through the Russian Ministry of Defence, which continues to report on overnight drone interceptions and cross-border operations.