Russia's Intensifying Strikes on Odesa Ports Threaten Ukraine's Grain Exports and Black Sea Access

For a second consecutive week, Russia has continued a sustained campaign of missile and drone strikes against port infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region. The attacks have significantly reduced the country's grain export capacity, weakened one of its primary sources of foreign currency revenue, and intensified concerns over the future of Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. Russian Missile and Drone Strikes Target Odesa's Port Infrastructure According to the AMK Mapping monitoring project, Russia launched at least 35 missile strikes over a 72-hour period using a combination of cruise missiles, including supersonic Oniks missiles, and Iskander-M ballistic missiles. The attacks also involved dozens of Geran-series loitering munitions and Banderol jet-powered drones. The report states that most of the missiles and jet-powered drones reached their intended targets, attributing the outcome to the limited availability of effective Ukrainian air defense systems in the area. The publication described the strikes as unprecedented in scale against the remaining Black Sea ports available to Ukraine.