Russian strikes hit vital Ukraine ports and Romania border crossing

Russia attacked Ukraine's port infrastructure and a border crossing with Romania in the southern Black Sea region of Odessa overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strike, "deliberately damaged a border crossing point on the border with Romania, as well as export infrastructure."

Ukraine's emergency service said the attack had also targeted energy infrastructure and caused a fire at a residential building, where one person was hurt, without giving further details.

In recent months, Russia has sharply increased both the number and intensity of its drone strikes on export infrastructure in the Odessa region, home to Ukraine's main Black Sea ports as well as the major Danube river ports of Reni and Izmail.

Russian attacks have effectively blocked the seaports, which once handled 90 per cent of the country's exports, forcing Kyiv to divert cargo through Danube river ports with lower capacity and to railway crossings on the western border.