Russia Intensifies Black Sea Attacks, Killing Three; Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Facilities

Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea cities, resulting in at least three fatalities, according to Ukrainian authorities. The port city of Mykolaiv was targeted by a Russian drone strike, damaging three foreign-flagged vessels and killing two Ukrainians aboard one of them. The port city of Odesa was also hit, with at least one death reported. Russia's Ministry of Defense confirmed strikes on Odesa's port facilities. These attacks on Ukraine's export routes, particularly grain export ports, have intensified in recent weeks, leading to partial disruptions in grain transport and a near-complete halt in grain purchases at terminals. Since the start of the war, Russia has frequently targeted these routes, with Ukrainian port authorities reporting at least 11 deaths, including dockworkers and foreign crew members, from strikes on ports and ships this month alone. Russia claims to have struck 24 Ukrainian military vessels in the past week. In response, Ukraine has also conducted strikes on Russian infrastructure. Drone attacks targeted the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near the Russian Black Sea coast, hitting an oil tanker chartered by ExxonMobil. The CPC terminal, crucial for Kazakhstan's oil exports, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes. Additionally, Ukraine launched an aerial attack on the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow, reportedly causing a fire. Ukrainian forces also claim to have hit at least ten Russian ships in the Black Sea on the same day, bringing the total number of Ukrainian attacks on vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this month to 159. Ukraine's military aims to open a maritime front to isolate Crimea.