A Russian attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed three people on Wednesday, according to local officials.
Serhiy Lysak, head of the city’s military administration, reported on Telegram that three others were hospitalized following the strike, which also damaged residential buildings. He provided no further details on the extent of the destruction.
Moscow confirmed the operation, stating it had struck multiple targets in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk using precision-guided air-launched weapons and attack drones. Russia’s Defence Ministry said port infrastructure used for unloading fuel and lubricants, as well as fuel storage tanks, were hit. It also claimed four vessels delivering cargo for the Ukrainian armed forces were struck in the ports of Chornomorsk and Dnipro-Buh.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday, announcing plans to deepen integration between European and Ukrainian defence industries.
“I will announce new initiatives to integrate our defence industries. So we can produce more, and faster,” she posted on X, sharing footage of her arrival.
Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Kyiv on July 15, 2026. © Ursula von der Leyen via X 
In recent days, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s deepwater Black Sea ports in the Greater Odesa cluster, facilities critical to foreign trade and the country’s wartime economy.
Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on Tuesday that two people were killed in an evening drone strike on port infrastructure in the region, adding that a civilian vessel flying a Marshall Islands flag had been damaged.
Overnight into Tuesday, Ukrainian drones struck 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea, including 17 oil tankers, according to the commander of Kyiv’s drone forces, speaking on Wednesday. Robert Brovdi said on Telegram that the targets also included two gas tankers and a tugboat.
