Russian attacks kill eight as Ukraine hits Black Sea oil tankers

ODESA — Russia and ‌Ukraine stepped up their battle over the Black Sea and key trade routes on Wednesday, with Moscow killing eight people in overnight and early morning attacksIn the Black Sea port of Odesa, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said a “massive” ​Russian drone and missile attack on the southern region continued for a fifth day, with civilian, industrial ​and port infrastructure coming under attack.Three people were killed and at least three more ⁠injured after a missile strike on a seven-story residential building in Odesa, Kiper said. In the north-eastern city of Sumy, three people were killed and 17 injured in shelling by guided aerial bombs, said acting Mayor Artem Kobzar. Another two casualties were reported in the central Dnipropetrovsk region and Zaporizhzhia, in the south.Russia in recent ​days has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s deepwater Black Sea ports in the Greater Odesa area, which handle much of ​the country’s grain and other cargo and are vital to its wartime economy. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said its drones hit 20 Russian vessels, including 17 oil tankers, in the Black Sea overnight, Kyiv’s top drone forces commander said on Wednesday.The Russian ministry of defence confirmed it had attacked Odesa, saying it had deliberately targeted port infrastructure, “used for the unloading of petroleum, oil, and lubricants”.Writing on Telegram, Kiper accused Russia of deliberately targeting the civilian population. He added that a non-residential building and a gas pipeline were also hit.In its report issued on Tuesday, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said at least 293 civilians were killed and 1,990 injured in Ukraine in June.It said that long-range weapons, such as missiles and drones, “remained the leading cause of civilian casualties”, accounting for 45% of deaths.”Most casualties from these weapons occurred far from the front line in urban centres such as Kyiv and Dnipro,” the UN monitors said.In its statement, Russia’s military claimed to have targeted sites involved in the manufacture of military hardware, and the transport of cargo.The Ukrainian attacks have forced Russia, the world’s top grain exporter, to restrict shipping in the Sea of Azov, a route that handles about a quarter of its grain exports, according to news agency Reuters.As the attacks continue, Ukraine is attempting to navigate a tumultuous political situation which has seen President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko after less than a year in the post.A motion to accept Svyrydenko’s resignation was passed in Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday, despite some lawmakers questioning whether the reason for the change had been explained.Serhiy Koretskyi, the head of state oil and gas firm Naftogaz, is seen as a likely successor to Svyrydenko, with parliament set to vote on the appointment on Thursday.