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Russian strike on ship near Odesa kills 10, Ukraine hits Moscow with drones

Al Jazeera · 2026-07-20

AI SUMMARY

• What happened: A Russian strike on a ship near Odesa killed at least 10 people, while Ukraine launched hundreds of drones to attack Moscow, resulting in injuries and damage to buildings. • Why it matters: The incident highlights the escalating violence in the ongoing conflict, with Russia intensifying attacks on Ukraine and Ukraine retaliating with drone strikes on Russian territory. • What to watch next: Monitor the situation for further developments in military actions from both sides, particularly regarding Ukraine's drone capabilities and Russia's response to the attacks.

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkSmoke billows after Ukrainian drone attacks, in Podolsk, in the Moscow region, Russia, July 20, 2026 [Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and ReutersPublished On 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026A Russian strike ⁠on a ship near the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa has killed at least 10 people, while Ukraine has launched hundreds of drones to attack Moscow, a day after Kyiv was hit by one of the heaviest barrages of ballistic missiles of the war.Russia struck a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship carrying ⁠corn with a crew ⁠from India and Syria, Ukraine’s seaports authority said on Monday. Officials said eight crew members had been rescued.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Ukraine ‘cuts off’ Crimea from Russia, plunging it into an energy crisislist 2 of 4Ten killed in Russia-Ukraine as protests continue over Kyiv defence revamplist 3 of 4Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia kill at least 8, wound dozenslist 4 of 4Russia launches largest ballistic missile attack on Kyiv since start of warend of listRussian strikes in Odesa have now killed 28 people in the month of July alone, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.“Since the beginning of July, the Odesa region was ⁠under constant daily ⁠shelling. There were days when ⁠13 to 15 air raid ⁠alerts had ⁠been announced in the region,” Kiper told Ukrainian television.Russia’s Defence ⁠Ministry said ‌its forces had hit fuel reservoirs ⁠at ⁠Odesa’s port.Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine, frequently using ballistic missiles, as Kyiv is currently short of Patriot interceptor munitions that are crucial to defend against them.In retaliation, Ukraine is intensifying its attacks on Russian territory. It targeted Moscow and the surrounding region with ⁠hundreds of drones ⁠overnight, wounding at least 10 people and setting several buildings ablaze, Russian officials said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 400 “enemy drones” were launched at the Moscow region between 8:30 p.m. (17:30 GMT) and 5:00 a.m. (02:00 GMT). Most were intercepted by Russia’s air defence ⁠systems, including ⁠85 destroyed while approaching the Russian capital.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine struck Russian logistics facilities and ⁠an oil depot ⁠in the Moscow region more than ‌400 km (250 miles) from the Ukrainian border.“We are responding, ⁠justly, to every Russian ⁠strike against our ⁠cities and ⁠communities,” Zelenskyy said in a ‌post on X.“Overnight, air defence ⁠forces and electronic warfare systems repelled a drone attack on the Moscow region. The main consequences were ⁠recorded in Podolsk, Domodedovo, and the Odintsovo district,” Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. He said 10 people, including a child, were wounded, and three of the wounded were Chinese citizens.“According to preliminary information, one person was wounded in Domodedovo as a result of a fire at a private house, and another on the M-4 highway, where a drone fell near a vehicle,” Vorobyov said.Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, said on Monday its logistics centre in the Podolsk district ⁠had been evacuated as a precaution, but later resumed normal operations.This comes after a series of Ukrainian drone ⁠attacks killed at least eight warehouse workers from Wildberries on ⁠Saturday and injured dozens more, while another attack sparked a fire at an oil depot outside Moscow.Ukrainian ⁠drones also ⁠struck seven Russian vessels on Sunday night in the ⁠Black Sea and Sea ⁠of Azov, according to Kyiv’s drone forces commander Robert ‌Brovdi. He said that the targets included ⁠three tankers and four ⁠dry cargo ships, bringing the total ⁠number of vessels struck ⁠in July ⁠to 183. Brovdi added that seven substations ‌had been hit in Russia-occupied ‌Crimea.

Source: Al Jazeera
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