Moscow had also promised «retaliation» earlier this week for an attack that damaged a crucial bridge between Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula. Russian officials blamed that attack on Ukraine.
In Mykolaiv, Russian attacks destroyed several floors of a three-story building and sparked a fire that engulfed an area of 450 square meters (4,800 square feet) and burned for hours. Two people were hospitalized, including a child, according to the regional governor.
In the port city of Odessa, at least two were injured after a Russian airstrike damaged buildings in the city center and sparked a fire that engulfed an area of 300 square meters (3,200 square feet), the Odessa governor said. Oleh Kiper.
The attacks came a day after heavy Russian drone and missile barrage damaged critical port infrastructure in Odessa, including grain and oil terminals. The attack destroyed at least 60,000 tons of grain.
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief condemned Russia’s attack on grain storage facilities.
“More than 60,000 tons of grain have been burned,” Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Thursday, commenting on recent Moscow tactics. «So they’re not just pulling out of the grain deal… they’re burning the grain.»
In addition, the White House warned on Wednesday that Russia is preparing possible attacks against civilian transport vessels in the Black Sea. The warning could alarm shippers and further increase grain prices.
Russia has placed additional sea mines at the approaches to Ukrainian ports, White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement.
“We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and blame Ukraine for these attacks,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, in the Russian-annexed territory of Crimea, «an enemy drone», an apparent reference to Ukraine, attacked a settlement in the northwest of the peninsula, the region’s Moscow-appointed governor Sergei Aksyonov said on Thursday. He said the attack damaged several administrative buildings and killed a teenage girl.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the country’s military continues to train with fighters from private military contractor Wagner, at a training camp near the border with Poland.
The exercises will continue for a week, the ministry said on Telegram, vowing to share more details later.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered a deal that ended last month’s rebellion launched by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, has said his country’s armed forces could benefit from the mercenaries’ combat experience. .