Russia strikes Ukrainian ports and Romanian border crossing

Russian strikes targeted Ukrainian port and energy infrastructure in the Odessa region overnight, including the Izmail area along the Danube River. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported that the attacks deliberately damaged export infrastructure and a border crossing point with Romania.

The strike damaged the Orlivka ferry service checkpoint on the Romanian border, leading the Ukrainian border service to temporarily suspend the processing of citizens and vehicles. The attacks also hit energy infrastructure and caused a fire in a residential building, resulting in at least one injury.

These strikes follow a pattern of increased Russian drone activity against Black Sea and Danube river ports, such as Reni and Izmail. Such attacks have forced Ukraine to divert grain and other exports from major seaports to river ports and western railway crossings. Despite the disruptions and frequent air-raid alerts, the Ukrainian railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia stated it has increased grain deliveries to Danube ports to maintain export capacity.