Odesa: Russia and Ukraine traded overnight strikes Thursday, resulting in at least two fatalities when a passenger train was struck in Ukraine's southern Odesa region. Meanwhile, Kyiv reported hitting an oil refinery deep inside Russian territory.
According to Anadolu Agency, Ukraine's State Emergency Service announced on Telegram that a Russian strike hit a passenger train in the Berezivka district of the Odesa region, leading to a fire in the locomotive that was subsequently extinguished. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on the US social media platform X that 340 people were aboard the train, which was targeted by a jet-powered drone, labeling it as an attack on a civilian target. Zelenskyy called for increased air defense support and pressure on Russia to halt the ongoing conflict in Europe.
In a separate incident, the Izmail District State Administration reported Russian strikes damaging port infrastructure in the Odesa region overnight, causing a fire and power outage in Izmail, a port city on the Danube River's left bank. Efforts to restore electricity were ongoing, led by Ukrainian private energy company DTEK.
Ukraine's Air Force claimed to have shot down 111 out of 133 drones launched by Russia overnight. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry reported overnight strikes on a temporary deployment point for a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit in the port of Izmail and other port infrastructures used for military cargo.
On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry stated its air defenses intercepted 362 Ukrainian drones over 17 regions and the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Crimea. Radiy Khabirov, head of Russia's Bashkortostan region, noted injuries from a Ukrainian drone attack in the Chishminsky district, and debris from a downed drone caused a fire in Salavat's industrial zone.
Wildberries, Russia's largest online marketplace, confirmed a fire at its facility in the industrial zone, where a pre-emptive evacuation was conducted. Ukraine's General Staff later confirmed targeting the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery, resulting in a fire.
Ukraine has escalated drone strikes on logistics facilities operated by Wildberries since mid-July, affecting over 15 centers across various Russian regions. Kyiv accuses the retailer of contributing to Moscow's military supply chain, while Moscow and Wildberries deny such involvement.
Lastly, Orenburg Governor Yevgeny Solntsev revealed that key infrastructure at the Orsk oil refinery, damaged by a Ukrainian strike earlier this week, cannot be immediately repaired due to imported equipment and sanctions, potentially leading to a six-month shutdown. The region is reconfiguring logistics to rely on imported fuel, with 80% of the 287 gas stations operational.