Russia Launches Missile and Drone Attacks on Southern Ukraine

Self-Destruct Drone Deployed to Attack Farmland and Grain Storage

Russia used missiles and suicide drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) to attack farmland and grain storage facilities in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine.

According to foreign media on the 17th (local time), the Ukrainian Air Force stated via a Telegram message that Russian forces launched 6 drones and 10 cruise missiles that day, and that 6 drones and 6 missiles were shot down.

The missiles that penetrated the air defense system struck farmland and grain storage facilities in the Odesa region, causing property damage, but no casualties occurred, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Odesa is home to a Black Sea port through which Ukraine exports grain. Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, they signed the "Black Sea Grain Initiative" in July last year under the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations to allow Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea. However, Russia declared the termination of the agreement after one year.

The reason cited was that the West had not fulfilled its promise to guarantee the export of its own agricultural products. Since then, some export ships carrying Ukrainian grain have been escorted by the British Air Force and others through the Black Sea route, and tensions continue, including a drone attack by Russian forces on the Danube River port in Odesa on the 13th.

The joint public-private reconstruction cooperation team led by Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the 13th and 14th. The South Korean government plans to provide $300 million (approximately 400 billion KRW) in grants to Ukraine next year and to provide $2 billion in concessional loans through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) starting in 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.