The Russian military carried out a second round of strikes on cargo ships in the port of Odessa on Saturday, just 24 hours after an initial attack, marking a sharp escalation in Moscow’s response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian shipping.
According to Ukrainian officials, a total of three cargo vessels were struck in drone and missile attacks carried out on Friday and Saturday. All of the ships were reported to be Turkish-owned and were docked in or near Odessa and the nearby port of Chornomorsk at the time of the strikes. Ukrainian authorities stated that the crews were evacuated in advance and that no casualties were reported.
In addition to targeting shipping, Russian forces launched large-scale strikes against infrastructure in the Odessa region, hitting more than 20 power stations. By Saturday night, much of the city was left without electricity, while gas and water services were also disrupted. The attacks signal an intensification of Russia’s energy campaign against Ukraine, which has continued throughout the year.
The strikes follow a series of Ukrainian attacks last month on cargo vessels traveling to or from Russian ports, including strikes near the port of Novorossiysk and an attack on a vessel off the coast of West Africa shortly after it departed a Russian harbor. In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued warnings that it could move to shut down the port of Odessa, one of Ukraine’s most critical economic lifelines.
Notably, the first strike on Odessa’s port facilities occurred roughly one hour after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the International Forum on Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
During that meeting, Erdoğan reportedly proposed a limited ceasefire focused on shipping, ports, and energy infrastructure. The talks, which lasted significantly longer than scheduled, were widely interpreted as contentious, suggesting that no agreement was reached and that Moscow was unwilling to restrain its military response.
Russia previously agreed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2022, allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain and foodstuffs from three major Black Sea ports. However, Moscow withdrew from the agreement in July 2023, citing the failure of Western countries to uphold commitments related to the export of Russian agricultural goods and fertilizers.
Until now, Russia had refrained from fully severing Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea. The recent strikes on cargo ships and port infrastructure suggest that Moscow may be moving closer to implementing a maritime blockade in response to Ukraine’s expanding campaign against Russian shipping.