Ukraine Says Russia Launched A 'Very Powerful, Massive' Attack On Odesa Port In Response To Crimean Bridge Damage

Russia on Tuesday launched a massive air attack on the Ukrainian port of Odesa, marking the second consecutive night of such assaults.

The attack, described as “hellish” by a Ukrainian official, follows Russia’s pledge of retaliation after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday, which Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

What Happened: The attack on Odesa, one of Ukraine’s main ports for exporting grain, was “very powerful, truly massive,” according to Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, Reuters reports.

This assault comes in the wake of a damaged bridge linking Crimea with Russia and subsequent retaliatory threats from the Russian Defense Ministry.

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Why It Matters: The attack on Odesa and the damaged bridge called the Kerch Bridge are part of a larger conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The bridge is crucial for supplying the peninsula with food, fuel, and weapons and was targeted by Ukraine, according to Russian officials.

The recent attack on Odesa is significant as it disrupts Ukraine’s grain export. This escalation of conflict comes amid reports of Russia sending ill-trained fighters and former convicts into Ukraine, jacked up on amphetamines, to fight regardless of the odds or the outcome.

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