Ukrainian forces shot down 28 Russian drones overnight, the air force said, but a Moscow strike damaged a warehouse in a port in the Odesa region, the military command of southern Ukraine said.

“Enemy drones were flying in various directions” and air defense was activated “in at least six regions of Ukraine (…) A total of 28 ‘Shahed 131/136’ were destroyed this night,” the Ukrainian PA said via Telegram.

In total, Moscow launched 33 remotely piloted drones from the Belgorod region, which neighbors Ukraine, and from Cape Chauda, ​​in the eastern part of the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, according to the same source.

“The enemy’s night attack, which sent drones into our area of ​​responsibility, once again targeted port infrastructure on the Danube. Warehouses in the port zone in the south of Odesa region were damaged by a strike,” the military command of southern Ukraine said via Telegram.

The governor of Odessa, Oleh Kiper, also spoke of damage to “port infrastructure and apartment buildings” in the Izmail region and an octogenarian who was taken to hospital with burns.

According to the military, ten Russian UAVs were destroyed in this area and another four in neighboring Mykolayiv. It was not made clear if those 14 were among the 28 the air force was talking about.

After Russia ended a deal in July that allowed Ukraine to export its grain despite the war, its forces have stepped up attacks on the Odesa and Mykolayiv regions, home to platforms and ports critical to Black Sea trade. as in Ishmael and Reni, on the Danube.

Last week, Mr. Kiper reported that Russian drones damaged a grain warehouse and a fire charred nine trucks in Izmail.

Russian saboteurs were arrested at the border

Meanwhile, in the Sumi region (northwest), a team effort was foiled Russian saboteurs to cross the border, according to Lt. Gen. Serhii Naev.

“The saboteurs tried to cross the border of Ukraine and intended to go further, towards critical civilian infrastructure,” the top officer said via Telegram.

The eight-member group of saboteurs was repelled by Ukrainian fire and there were no casualties on the Ukrainian side, he assured.