Russian rockets and drones strike Odesa region, damaging homes and infrastructure; Russia says it hit ports as Romania downs drone

Russian forces launched a combined rocket and drone attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region on July 24, local authorities reported, damaging homes and industrial infrastructure and injuring a woman and a child. The assault prompted air-raid warnings in parts of the region, including Odesa and the Izmail districts, according to local officials.

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa regional military administration, posted an early morning update on his Telegram channel saying residential buildings and industrial infrastructure were damaged. His statement did not identify the specific industrial sites hit or the exact districts affected by the strikes.

In the city of Odesa itself, Serhiy Lysak, head of the Odesa city military administration, said a shop and other municipal infrastructure were damaged in the strikes. Authorities reported two civilian injuries — a woman and a child — but did not provide further personal details or the severity of the injuries.

Russia’s defence ministry said on the morning of July 24 that its forces had used rockets and drones to strike fuel tanks intended for the Ukrainian military at Odesa port and warehouses storing military cargo at the Izmail port. Ukrainian officials did not confirm Russia’s account of these specific targets in their initial reports.

Izmail district lies on Ukraine’s western frontier and borders Romania. Romanian official Nicușor Dan said a Romanian F-16 pilot shot down a drone that had entered Romania’s airspace that morning. According to Dan, the drone was over an unpopulated area when downed, so the interception did not pose a significant risk to people on the ground. Romanian authorities said they have opened an investigation into the incident.

Cross-border incursions by drones have occurred before during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On May 29, a drone that penetrated Romanian airspace struck the roof of a multi-apartment building in the city of Galați, wounding two people. That episode and the July 24 downing underscore ongoing concerns about the conflict’s spillover effects on neighbouring countries.

Despite repeated civilian damage and casualties in Odesa region, the Russian defence ministry has routinely characterized its strikes as targeting military objects located at or near ports. Independent verification of such claims is frequently limited in the immediate aftermath of strikes. Local reports also note that several civilian cargo vessels have been damaged by Russian attacks during the course of the war, further affecting the region’s maritime commerce and civilian livelihoods.

The strikes on July 24 add to a sustained pattern of bombardment in the Odesa region, which has seen repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, homes and maritime assets. The incidents raise continued concerns about civilian protection under international humanitarian law and the risks posed by drone and missile operations near international borders.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the developments, citing official statements from regional Ukrainian administrations and Romanian authorities. Additional details and independent confirmations were not immediately available, and investigations by local and international bodies are likely to follow regarding the precise targets and any cross-border implications.