Russia’s armed forces launched airstrikes in the early hours of the morning against Odesa – for the third night in a row – and Mykolayiv, strategic port cities in southern Ukraine, wounding at least eleven people, according to local authorities.

In Odessa, about 100 km southwest of Mykolayiv, Russian shelling resulted in two people being hospitalized, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper.

“After a Russian attack (…) there is destruction in the center of Odessa,” Mr. Kiper said via Telegram, without specifying what kind of weapons were used. He assured that the emergency services are on foot.

In Mykolife, “the Russians hit the city center. A parking lot and a three-story apartment building are on fire. Firefighters are operating on the spot,” Vitaly Kim, regional governor in Mykolife, said via Telegram.

Four adults and five children were injured, he said.

He did not provide details, such as what kind of weapon was used in the attack.

The mayor of Mykolayiv, Oleksandr Senkevich, said there was a “huge crater on the ground near a three-story apartment building” and added that “the fire is very serious.”

“Many buildings were damaged all around (…) parking lots caught fire in another direction”, added the elector.

Later, Mr. Senkiewicz informed that “five apartment buildings were damaged”, adding that “a search and rescue operation is underway” and that the garages that were damaged are “about 15”.

Earlier, an alert was declared due to imminent Russian airstrikes in various regions of Ukraine, including Mykolaiv.

The Ukrainian air force said it detected the launch of hypersonic missiles against surface ships in the direction of Odessa, where Mr. Kiper urged citizens to stay in shelters.

On the night of Tuesday-Wednesday, an attack was made targeting “grain terminals and port infrastructure” in Odessa and Chornomorsk, and “silos and wharves in the port of Odessa” were damaged.

The Russian military, for its part, said it targeted “military industrial facilities, fuel infrastructure and ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army.”

Yesterday, Wednesday, Moscow declared that it would consider any ship headed for a Ukrainian port in the Black Sea a military target.

For its part, Kiev is demanding that international escort be offered to the cargo ships after the termination of the agreement that allowed the export of grain.