Russian forces conducted a fourth attack on Odesa Oblast on July 21, targeting grain terminals with Kalibr cruise missiles in a nighttime assault that caused casualties, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian military’s Southern Operational Command, said on Ukrainian national television on July 21, informs NV.
Humeniuk reported that the missiles were directed toward an agro-enterprise with the intention of destroying grain reserves. The strike hit warehouses and an agricultural machinery facility.Oleh Kiper, the governor of Odesa Oblast, confirmed that the Russians destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley. Two people were injured in the explosion and received medical assistance.The Russians “steered the missiles along a complex course, utilizing the terrain features of the Black Sea itself,” said Humeniuk.
“They flew at a very low altitude. The impact occurred practically simultaneously with the air raid alarm, as detecting the missiles under such circumstances is extremely challenging.”
The aggressors launched two waves of attacks, with the second strike hitting while rescuers were extinguishing the initial fire, forcing them to seek shelter.
The attack marks the fourth consecutive night of Russian aggression against southern Ukraine, with Odesa and Mykolaiv facing the brunt of the assault.
On July 19, they precisely targeted the ports of Chornomorsk and Odesa, damaging grain terminals.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has destroyed 60,000 tons of agricultural products destined for China.
In the wake of the attack on July 20, one person was killed in Odesa, and the governor reported eight injured individuals.