KYIV (Reuters) – Russian drone attacks damaged port infrastructure in southern Ukraine, officials said on Thursday, while neighbouring Moldova said two drones had blown up on its soil and NATO member Romania said its airspace had likely been breached.
Kyiv said Moscow attacked Ukraine with 140 drones overnight, injuring one person in the Izmail district of Ukraine’s Odesa region that lies on the Danube River and borders Romania and Moldova.
Photos shared by the emergency services showed rescuers putting out a fire at the site of an attack, without specifying exactly where. Authorities often withhold precise information for what they say are wartime security reasons.
The southern region is a central hub for Ukraine’s Black Sea exports and its port facilities have been regularly attacked by long-range strikes throughout the war launched by Russia in February 2022.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said two Russian drones had h violated Moldova’s airspace and exploded in its territory, “putting Moldovan lives at risk”.
“Russia respects no borders, attacks civilians, spreads terror…Leave us, peaceful nations, alone,” she wrote on X.
Mihai Popșoi, Moldova’s foreign minister said the ministry would summon the Russian ambassador over the incidents.
Two drones were likely to have breached Romania’s airspace, that country’s defence ministry said.
It said a possible drone crash site had been detected and that it was conducting searches.
Out of 140 drones, the Ukrainian air force said it shot down 85 drones and 52 did not reach their targets likely due to electronic countermeasures.
Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Tom Balmforth and Angus MacSwan)
