In a recent escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Ukraine claimed that its forces successfully shot down Russian drones and cruise missiles targeting the Black Sea port of Odesa.

The attack was described by Moscow as “retribution” for an incident in October 2022 that damaged the Kerch Bridge, a key supply route to Crimea.

The Ukrainian military’s Southern Command stated that the Russians first launched 25 exploding drones to wear down Ukraine’s air defenses before targeting Odesa with six Kalibr cruise missiles.

However, Ukrainian air defenses were able to shoot down all six missiles and the drones, although some damage to port facilities and residential buildings occurred as a result.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had launched a “strike of retribution” against Ukrainian military facilities near Odesa and Mykolaiv, as well as Ukrainian fuel depots.

The ministry claimed that it destroyed facilities involved in preparing “terror attacks against Russia involving maritime drones,” including a shipyard that was producing them.

Both countries made conflicting claims about the success of the attacks, and it was not possible to independently verify the information.

President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of striking the Kerch Bridge in October 2022, an attack that caused significant damage and required months of repairs.

While Ukrainian officials stopped short of directly claiming responsibility, satellite images showed serious damage to both eastbound and westbound lanes of the bridge.

The Russian military has sporadically targeted Odesa throughout the war, but Tuesday’s attack was one of the largest on the area.The barrage on Odesa occurred a day after Russia broke off a deal that allowed Ukraine to ship vital grain supplies from the port.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov alleged, without evidence, that Ukraine had abused the shipping lanes and routes designated for the grain transport for military purposes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to continue implementing the grain deal, highlighting the importance of Ukrainian grain exports for fighting hunger in various regions of the world.

The United Nations and Ukraine’s Western allies criticized Russia for halting the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which put many lives at risk. In response, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional $250 million in support for Ukraine’s agricultural sector.

Samantha Power, the head of USAID, visited Odesa to express concern over Russia’s disruption of maritime commerce and its impact on global food supplies during a time of crisis. Amidst the ongoing tensions, Russia claimed that its forces had foiled a Ukrainian attack using 28 drones on Crimea.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that 17 of the attacking drones were shot down by air defenses, while the remaining 11 were jammed electronically and crashed, causing no damage or casualties. Additionally, satellite photos revealed that a convoy of vehicles arrived at a once-abandoned military base in Belarus.

The base was offered to Russia’s private military contractor, Wagner, following a short-lived rebellion by Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, against the Russian Defense Ministry.

Belaruski Hajun, an activist group monitoring troops movements in Belarus, reported that a convoy of over 100 vehicles with Wagner insignia entered the country, heading for the camp. This marked the third such convoy to enter Belarus in recent weeks.