Ukraine’s port city suffers further damage as Moscow insists on attacking energy infrastructure despite part-ceasefire agreement
Russian drones launched a devastating attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, setting multiple areas ablaze in a direct violation of the recently agreed-upon temporary ceasefire, which was meant to focus only on halting attacks on energy infrastructure.
Videos circulating online depicted raging fires across the city, with several residential and commercial buildings hit, including a high-rise apartment complex and a shopping centre. Regional Governor Oleh Kiper confirmed that several infrastructure sites were also targeted in the attack.
The timing of the drone strike was notable, as it occurred while Czech President Petr Pavel was in Odesa for talks, highlighting the audacity of Moscow’s actions amid diplomatic efforts. “It was during our meeting that the enemy once again massively attacked the Odesa region,” Kiper stated on Telegram.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump brokered a tentative agreement between Ukraine and Russia for a partial ceasefire. However, confusion has surrounded the terms of the deal, particularly regarding which targets would be off-limits. While the White House suggested that the ceasefire would cover both energy and infrastructure, the Kremlin clarified that it only applied to energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed a desire to extend protection to other vital infrastructure, such as railways and ports.
On Friday, the Kremlin reaffirmed that the ceasefire’s scope remained limited to energy infrastructure, but Moscow also accused Ukraine of violating the truce by carrying out a strike on a Russian oil depot before Zelenskyy’s agreement with Trump.
In the meantime, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Ukraine of breaching the ceasefire, while Ukraine countered by accusing Moscow of continuing its attacks, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure such as a hospital in Sumy.
The window for a temporary ceasefire remains uncertain, with Russian forces using the interim period to carry out drone strikes on Odesa and shell the southern Zaporizhzhia region. In another development, a key pumping station for Russian gas exports to Europe was set on fire in an attack that both sides are blaming on each other.
Despite European nations cutting back their reliance on Russian gas, countries like Hungary and Slovakia still purchase it, with supplies flowing through the Sudzha pumping station in the Kursk region of Russia.
