Two Russian ballistic missiles struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa last week, costing three lives and injuring five, local news reported.
The HHLA Container Terminal Odesa (CTO) was impacted by the strike, with Hamburg-based Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) confirming the fatalities.
“[…] For the first time since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, HHLA colleagues in Odessa lost their lives,” shared Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA, in a recent statement.
“We are deeply shocked by this news. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and our injured colleagues and their families during this difficult time. This is a painful moment for our company. These colleagues are part of HHLA, just like our teams in Hamburg, Trieste, Prague, Budapest, and Tallinn. Odessa is and will remain an important part of our network.
“We mourn and remain united and in solidarity with Odessa and Ukraine.”
The missile struck civilian infrastructure within the Port of Odesa, damaging the engine room and destroying multiple pieces of equipment, while shattering the windows of nearby buildings, according to Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure.
Despite Kyiv agreeing in March to a US-proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire, Russia has continued its attacks across Ukraine. The latest assault on Odesa, a key Black Sea port for global trade and export of Ukrainian grain, took place against this backdrop of ongoing strikes.
Since the conflict’s onset, Ukrainian ports have faced multiple attacks. According to Kuleba, since February 2022, Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed nearly 400 pieces of port infrastructure and over 30 vessels. He also noted that 106 civilians have been injured in these assaults on port facilities.
Last week, the European Union launched its most extensive sanctions package to date against Russia’s so-called “Dark Fleet”, adding 189 tankers to its blacklist and bringing the total to 342 vessels.