Russia strikes vessels carrying weapons to Ukraine near Odesa

The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces hit two vessels transporting weapons and military equipment to Ukrainian ports near Odesa on July 29, as well as a fuel storage facility in Odesa, two additional vessels in the nearby port of Pivdennyi and another vessel northwest of Snake Island in the Black Sea. The ministry claimed all targeted ships were being used to ship military supplies to Ukraine. The attacks come amid a recent intensification of Russian and Ukrainian strikes on Black Sea and Azov Sea shipping, which has pushed global wheat prices higher. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the safety of Ukrainian civilians depends on the willingness of allies, particularly the United States, to provide air‑defence systems.