Russian drone strike hits Odesa port and energy infrastructure again

A Russian drone strike struck Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa overnight into Friday for a second consecutive night, causing a fire to break out and damaging energy and port infrastructure.

"Air strikes caused new damage to energy and port infrastructure facilities. Fires broke out, administrative buildings, equipment, and machinery were damaged," Regional Governor Oleh Kiper wrote on Telegram.

No injuries or fatalities were recorded, according to Serhii Lysak, head of the regional military administration, who said emergency services were on the ground.

"Power engineers are working to restore power supply to Odesa residents' homes," Lysak wrote on Telegram.

The attack marks the second consecutive attack on the city, as Russia launched another overnight strike on port and industrial facilities a day prior, which had killed one person and injured two others.

"Odesa suffers the most these days. Russia deliberately destroys energy and civilian infrastructure, leaving people without power, water, and heating amid freezing temperatures," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X on Thursday.

Overnight on Friday, Russia launched 99 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile at Ukraine, Ukraine's Air Force said. A total of 73 drones were shot down or jammed, while the Iskander missile and 26 UAVs struck 16 locations across Ukraine.

Russian strikes continued into Friday, with a missile hitting the city of Uman in central Ukraine, injuring six including two children and damaging infrastructure, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said it struck a major Russian oil refinery on Thursday using UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces hit the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia’s Rostov region. “Multiple explosions were recorded. The target was hit,” it wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion.