The Russian strike on the port of Odessa was the largest since the start of a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This was announced in his social networks by the Odessa mayor Gennady Trukhanov.
“One of the worst nights ever. We don’t recall such a scale of the attack…” Ukrainian media quoted him as saying.
The operational command “South” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that as a result of night strikes “on one of the ports of the Odessa region” grain and oil terminals, tanks and equipment for loading onto ships were damaged. The blast wave from the hits also damaged the warehouses of tobacco and pyrotechnics.
“The target of the strike was achieved”
According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the strike consisted of several waves: 16 Caliber cruise missiles, eight X-22 missiles, six Onyx missiles and one X-59 guided air missile were fired. In addition, the Ukrainian military counted 32 Shahed-136/131 strike drones.
Air defense was able to shoot down 37 air targets, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 13 Kalibr cruise missiles, an Kh-59 aviation missile and 23 attack drones were allegedly destroyed in the air.“The issue with UAVs has not been fundamentally resolved”: what is the role of drones in the NVO zone Armed conflicts of the coming century will be distinguished by the massive use of unmanned systems …
On the footage published on social networks, you can see how a bright flash from a nighttime explosion in Odessa illuminates the surroundings.
On July 19, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, after the attacks on Odessa, instructed the military to strengthen the security of the port infrastructure.
According to him, the Russian side allegedly deliberately attacked the “infrastructure of the grain deal”.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, high-precision sea and air-based weapons attacked military industry facilities, fuel infrastructure and ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army. The attack was also directed at the Kanatovo air base in the Kirovograd region.
“All assigned objects are hit. The goal of the strike has been achieved,” the ministry said.
“Retaliation strikes” for the Crimean Bridge
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the day before that “retaliation strikes” were inflicted on facilities where “terrorist attacks were being prepared against Russia using aquatic drones,” as well as at the place where drones were manufactured at a shipyard near Odessa.Russia launched “retaliatory strikes” for the Crimean Bridge On the night of July 18, the Russian military attacked targets on the territory of Ukraine, where… 18 July 16:41
This strike was a response to the undermining of the Crimean bridge, as a result of which spans of the automobile part of the crossing were seriously damaged and two civilians were killed – Belgorod residents traveling to Crimea. Their daughter was left without parents.
In addition, as reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, fuel tanks with a total volume of about 70,000 tons were destroyed at night in the area of Odessa and Nikolaev, which were used to provide fuel to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.