A Russian strike on a ship near the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa has killed at least 10 people, Ukraine's seaports authority said on Monday. The vessel, flagged to Guinea-Bissau and carrying corn, had a crew from India and Syria. Eight crew members were rescued.

Russian strikes in Odesa have now killed 28 people in 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 Defense Ministry said its forces had hit fuel reservoirs at Odesa's port. Moscow has stepped up attacks on Ukraine, frequently using ballistic missiles, as Kyiv faces a shortage of Patriot interceptor munitions crucial for defense.

In retaliation, Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, wounding at least 10 people and setting several buildings ablaze. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 400 "enemy drones" were launched at the Moscow region, most intercepted by air defense systems, including 85 destroyed while approaching the capital.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine struck Russian logistics facilities and an oil depot in the Moscow region. "We are responding justly to every Russian strike," he said. Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov reported 10 wounded, including a child and three Chinese citizens. Wildberries logistics center was temporarily evacuated but later resumed operations.

Ukrainian drones also struck seven Russian vessels in the Black and Azov Seas on Sunday night, according to Kyiv's drone forces commander Robert Brovdi. Targets included three tankers and four dry cargo ships, bringing the total vessels struck in July to 183. Brovdi added that seven substations were hit in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Source: www.aljazeera.com