According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has commenced aerial assaults on the port city of Odesa in Ukraine for a second consecutive night.

Simultaneously, there have been reports of explosions in Sevastopol, the port city in Crimea that is annexed by Russia.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper posted on social media, informing that air defense systems were actively countering a Russian air attack.

He urged residents of the region to seek shelter. These assaults on Odesa, a vital Ukrainian port for grain exports, came as a response from Russia following a bridge explosion connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday.

Moscow placed blame on Ukraine for the blast, Al-Jazeera has reported.

Shortly after the bridge incident on Monday, Moscow withdrew from an agreement that permitted the export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

This decision, criticized by the United Nations, carries the risk of exacerbating hunger worldwide.

Written by staff