Russian strike sparks fire at Ukraine port; Zelenskyy seeks interceptors

What the report says

Russian forces struck Ukraine’s Izmail port in the Odesa region, setting off a fire and damaging port infrastructure, according to local authorities cited by Al Jazeera. Emergency crews were sent to the scene. Izmail is near the Romanian border and is a major Danube River port used for grain and other cargo, making it a significant part of Ukraine’s export network.

The attack followed a Ukrainian strike a day earlier on Russia’s Novorossiysk port, underscoring the continuing tit-for-tat targeting of maritime infrastructure in the war. Al Jazeera reported that Russia has been stepping up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, including repeated barrages on Kyiv in recent weeks.

At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine urgently needs more Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States to survive the winter and defend against Russian ballistic missiles. He said Ukraine has faced a shortfall in interceptors this year and argued that a small share of US stockpiles could make a major difference. The article noted that Ukraine says supplies have been tight since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in February, which diverted some advanced air-defense systems.

The air force also said it would stop publishing detailed counts of ballistic missile interceptions as it struggles to cope with the higher volume of Russian attacks.