Russia strikes retaliatory blow targeting facilities in two Ukrainian cities

The Russian military struck a shipyard in Odessa, where Ukraine was making surface drones, as well as warehouses with fuel for the equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Nikolaev.

The Russian military launched a precision strike in Odessa targeting the facilities where Ukraine was building unmanned surface vehicles to conduct terrorist attacks against Russia.

The Russian Armed Forces also struck fuel facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Nikolaev (Mykolaiv), the Defence Ministry said.

The department described its actions as "a retaliatory strike against the facilities where terrorist acts against the Russian Federation were being prepared with the use of unmanned boats."

The Russian military also struck a shipyard in Odessa, where such boats were manufactured.

As a result of the strikes, fuel storage facilities with a total volume of about 70,000 tons were destroyed.

"All the targets have been hit. Fires and explosions were recorded at the destroyed facilities," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

An air alert was announced twice in Ukraine on July 18 at night.

The head of the public council at the Odessa Regional Military Administration, Sergei Bratchuk, confirmed that the port infrastructure was damaged.