Odesa/Kyiv, December 23, 2025 — Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, targeting critical port and energy infrastructure and placing the country’s vital sea routes under growing threat, Ukrainian officials said. The latest wave of strikes has caused widespread power outages and raised concerns over the security of maritime trade in the Black Sea.
On Monday evening, Russian drones struck the port area of Odesa, damaging a civilian vessel, according to the regional governor. Firefighters worked overnight to contain fires triggered by the attacks, while emergency services reported significant disruption to electricity supplies.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said Moscow was carrying out “systematic attacks” on the Odesa region, warning earlier that the focus of the war could increasingly shift southward. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the objective of the continued assaults was to deprive Ukraine of its ability to transport goods and maintain logistics through sea routes.
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s access to the sea could be blocked in retaliation for drone attacks on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers—vessels used to bypass Western sanctions.
Sunday night’s strikes reportedly left around 120,000 people without electricity and sparked a major fire at a port facility, where dozens of containers carrying flour and edible oil were destroyed. Attacks continued on Monday, part of a series of more than a hundred strikes in recent days that have disrupted power supplies and caused casualties.
Last week, a ballistic missile strike on the Pivdennyi port east of Odesa killed eight people and injured at least 30. In another recent attack, a woman traveling with her three children was killed, and the only bridge connecting Ukraine and Moldova through the Odesa region was temporarily cut off.
Zelenskyy also announced that a new military commander would soon be appointed for the Odesa region following the dismissal of an air force commander.
Historically, the port of Odesa has been crucial to Ukraine’s economy. It is the country’s third-largest city after Kyiv and Kharkiv, and its strategic importance has increased as ports in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv remain under Russian control.
Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine remains one of the world’s leading exporters of wheat and corn. Since August 2023, a key grain export corridor has been operating from Odesa along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria toward Turkey.
Zelenskyy reiterated that without increased pressure on Russia, there is no sign of genuine willingness from Moscow to halt its aggression. Meanwhile, a new round of diplomatic efforts led by the United States has concluded, with separate meetings held with Ukrainian and Russian representatives, though no tangible progress toward ending the war has been reported.
In a separate development, Russian airstrikes were also reported early Tuesday in Kyiv, where air defense systems were activated. No immediate reports of damage or casualties were available.
