Russia steps up strikes on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports

MOSCOW

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, with Moscow saying it struck military-related facilities and vessels in Odesa, Pivdennyi and Izmail.

The Russian Defense Ministry said long-range drones hit a fuel depot at Pivdennyi and a patrol boat in Odesa used to guide vessels carrying military cargo.

It also said port infrastructure in Izmail used to store and transport fuel and military supplies, along with a military equipment depot in Odesa, had been struck. 

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, meanwhile, visited the command center of the country’s eastern group of forces, where he was briefed on front-line operations and the use of drones.

The group’s commander claimed its units had captured 19 settlements during the summer.

Separately, Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said a Ukrainian missile had struck an industrial facility in the Russian region.

Emergency teams were assessing the damage and possible casualties, he said.

The attacks came as U.N. monitors reported that July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since March 2022.

At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 wounded, a 30 percent increase from June.

Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said civilian casualties had risen each month this year and increased sharply in July.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA also reported that Moscow and Pyongyang were coordinating on security and stability.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the two countries’ wartime ties as a cornerstone of their relations, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said they would continue working together on bilateral and international issues.