Russian ballistic missiles hit Odesa port, damaging two civilian vessels, killing one and injuring eight people

On October 14, Russian soldiers once again launched a ballistic attack on the port infrastructure of Odesa. This damaged two civilian vessels, including the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship "OPTIMA," which was hit for the second time. Tragically, one person was killed, and eight were wounded.

The Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Oleksii Kuleba, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, and the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, reported that.

"Another attack by the Russian Federation on the port infrastructure: one person died, two civilian vessels were damaged. On October 14, Russia again bombarded the Odesa port. As a result of the attack, one person was killed, and eight more were injured. All civilians," Kuleba said.

According to the head of the regional military administration, the victims are in the hospital, two of them are in serious condition.

"Medics are providing all the necessary assistance. All the injured and the dead are workers of the port infrastructure, citizens of Ukraine," Kiper emphasized.

In addition, the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship "OPTIMA" was damaged for the second time.

"A week ago, this ship was already damaged as a result of ballistic shelling. Then, foreigners – crew members were injured. Another ship damaged today, NS Moon, sails under the flag of Belize," the vice-prime minister noted.

In addition, the following were damaged during the attack:

• grain warehouse,
• cargo cranes,
• warehouses,
• machinery,
• buildings of the Sea Ports Administration branch,
• cars.

As Kiper noted, Russian terrorists attacked Odesa with one ballistic missile.

According to the investigation, on October 14, around 11:50 a.m., the Russian armed forces launched a missile attack on the Odesa port infrastructure.

"The examination is ongoing; data on the final number of dead and injured, as well as a complete list of destruction and damage, are being established," the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office noted.

Under the procedural leadership of the prosecutors of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation has been launched into violating the laws and customs of war (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

For reference:

On the evening of October 9, Russian troops hit the port infrastructure of the Odesa region with ballistic missiles. During the attack, a civilian ship under the flag of Panama, the container ship Shui Spirit, was damaged. The number of victims increased to 9 people.

On October 7, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile at the port facilities of Odesa, resulting in an attack on a commercial ship flying the flag of Palau. Tragically, a 60-year-old Ukrainian worker from a private cargo handling company lost his life, and five other crew members from other countries sustained injuries.

On the night of October 6, a civilian ship under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, which was standing in the port of Odesa with corn grain loaded for export, was damaged.

Russia traditionally claims the destruction of alleged military cargo, but in reality, its attacks are targeting innocent civilian objects. Most recently, in the Izmail district of the Odesa region, a similar attack caused damage to multiple trucks and administrative buildings located on the border with Romania.

Despite constant shelling, the Ukrainian Maritime Food Corridor operates around the clock. In just over a year, it has successfully exported over 70 million tons of cargo, with over 2,500 ships departing from Ukrainian ports for Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Such Russian tactics are not new. Last fall, during the shipment of grain and other products from Ukraine, the Russian occupiers also carried out a series of attacks on ports and ships that provide this type of export.