Ukraine air defence continues to down drones, missiles from Russia

Commander of air force says Western weapons prove their effectiveness on the battlefield

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KYIV Ukraine shot down 14 attack drones and a cruise missile fired by Russia at its south and east overnight, but debris from a downed drone damaged a warehouse at the Black Sea port of Odesa, officials said on Monday.

Air defences brought down nine Iranian-made Shahed drones over the southern region of Odesa, which is home to Ukraine’s main Black Sea ports, and no one was reported injured, governor Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

There was no comment from Moscow, which denies targeting civilian infrastructure.

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s port and grain infrastructure since quitting a UN-brokered deal in July that had allowed Kyiv to ship its grain via the Black Sea.

Ukraine, a major grain producer, has been trying to establish a new shipping corridor to revive its exports across the Black Sea, traditionally its main route to global markets, despite a de facto Russian blockade.