Russians hit three foreign-flagged ships with drones in overnight attacks on Black Sea ports, Kiev says
Emergency crews put out a fire on a ship following a Russian attack on energy, port, transport and housing infrastructure in Odessa, Ukraine, on December 23, 2025. PHOTO: AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia
Attacks by Russian drones, carried out during the night, damaged ships under the flag of three countries – Slovakia, Palau and Liberia – located in the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv regions of southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister said on Friday, according to Reuters.
In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up attacks on the southern Odesa region, and Ukrainian officials have said Moscow is seeking to isolate Ukraine from the Black Sea and sow chaos among civilians.
There were no casualties in Friday's attacks, Oleksii Kuleba said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app, but the attacks caused power outages and damaged elevators and civilian warehouses in the Odesa region.
“Ships under the flag of Slovakia and the Republic of Palau were damaged. Rescue teams are putting out fires at the site of the bombings. Port workers continue to inspect the damage. (…) The terminal in the Mikolaiv region was also hit by Russian drones. A ship under the flag of Liberia was damaged. Fortunately, no one was injured. Repair work is underway,” the Ukrainian deputy prime minister wrote.
Separately, Kuleba added that Russian drones damaged a locomotive and a freight car at the Kovel station in the country's northwest, about 60 kilometers (37.28 miles) from Poland.
“Despite Russia's deliberate terror, Ukraine's logistics system continues to function,” Kuleba said.
Moscow has not commented on the latest attacks.
In Romania, the Ministry of National Defense announced that two F-16 fighter jets from the 86th Air Base in Fetești were lifted from the ground, during the night, to monitor the air situation in the border area with Ukraine, in the north of Tulcea county, after a new attack by Russian drones on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube.
“On the night of December 25 to 26, at 1:05 a.m., two F-16 fighter aircraft from the 86th Air Base in Fetești were lifted into the air to monitor the air situation in the border area with Ukraine, in the north of Tulcea county. The air surveillance system of the Ministry of National Defense identified groups of drones launched by the Russian Federation towards the Ukrainian ports on the Danube,” MApN reported.
