Ukraine and Russia Trade Blame Over Deadly Strikes as Odesa Port Sustains Damage

Ukraine and Russia each accused the other of carrying out lethal attacks on Sunday, with casualties reported on both sides of the border. In Kharkiv, an apartment building was struck, leaving three people dead and 37 injured. Across the border in Russia’s Belgorod region, officials said a Ukrainian drone strike killed five people and wounded 25 others.

Odesa’s Port Damaged in Major Strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia damaged the seaport in Odesa during a wave of strikes involving dozens of drones and missiles, which also left about a dozen people injured across the city. He described the attack as an assault on global food security, since Odesa’s ports serve as the main route for Ukraine’s agricultural exports. A local resident whose home barely avoided destruction said the port area has long been the most frequently targeted part of the city.

Energy Infrastructure Under Pressure

Ukraine’s energy ministry said Russian strikes on power infrastructure caused widespread overnight outages in Odesa, though electricity has since been restored to roughly 90,000 residents. At the Vatican, Pope Leo renewed calls for an end to the war, now in its fifth year.