Russian drones damage vessels from Slovakia, other countries — Ukraine

KYIV — Russian overnight drone attacks damaged Slovakia-, Palau-, and Liberia-flagged vessels in ports in Ukraine’s Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Friday.

In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up attacks on southern Ukraine, particularly in the Odesa region, as Ukrainian officials said Moscow aims to cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea and create chaos among civilians.

There were no casualties reported in Friday’s strikes, Kuleba said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. However, the attacks caused power outages and damaged grain elevators and civilian warehouses in the Odesa region.

Separately, Kuleba added that drones also damaged a locomotive and a freight car at the northwestern Kovel railway station, located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Poland.

“Despite Russia’s deliberate terror, Ukraine’s logistics system continues to function,” Kuleba said.

Russia has not commented on the incidents.

Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Joe Bavier and Muralikumar Anantharaman/Reuters