Ukraine Destroys 22 Russian Drones as Moscow Hits Romanian Border
KYIV, Ukraine – In a significant development, Ukraine announced on Sunday that it had successfully destroyed 22 Russian drones in the Odesa region. The news comes as Moscow admitted to hitting the Danube port of Reni, which is situated on the border with NATO member Romania.
For several weeks now, Russia has been targeting Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Odesa region, following its decision to withdraw from a bilateral agreement that previously guaranteed safe passage for ships carrying grain from Ukrainian ports.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, “On the night of September 3, 2023, the Russian occupiers launched several waves of attacks by ‘Shahed-136/131’ UAVs from the south and southeast.” They further revealed that a total of 25 Iranian-made attack drones had been launched, but thanks to the efforts of the Air Force in cooperation with other components of the Defence Forces of Ukraine, 22 of them were successfully destroyed.
However, Ukrainian prosecutors reported that some of the drones managed to hit the Danube area, resulting in at least two individuals sustaining injuries.
On the other hand, the Russian army confirmed that it had targeted “fuel storage facilities” in Reni, which is situated across the Danube River from Romania, an EU and NATO member country. Bucharest strongly condemned the previous Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports of Reni and Ismail.
Since the collapse of a United Nations-brokered deal in July, Russia has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, both of which are crucial for agricultural exports due to their ports and infrastructure.
Notably, last month witnessed the first civilian cargo ship defying the Russian blockade and successfully sailing through the Black Sea from Ukraine to Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that on Saturday, two more vessels had passed through the country’s “temporary Black Sea grain corridor”.
The situation in the region remains tense, with both sides engaging in hostilities. The destruction of the Russian drones by Ukraine demonstrates the country’s commitment to defending its borders and protecting its ports. As the conflict continues to unfold, the international community closely watches the developments and seeks a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
