The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that its forces had targeted overnight a dry-cargo ship at sea which, it said, was carrying military shipments to the port of Odesa in southern Ukraine, as reciprocal strikes continued between Moscow and Kyiv despite a US announcement of a ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, the ministry said Russian forces had continued overnight to carry out strikes using drones against infrastructure at Ukrainian ports, as well as vessels belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces. It added that the strikes hit the cargo ship as it sailed towards Odesa carrying military supplies.
Ship and locomotives targeted in Ukraine
According to the statement, Russian forces also targeted four locomotives which, it said, were being used by the Ukrainian armed forces, in the areas of Odesa, Kryvyi Rih and Piatykhatky in Dnipropetrovsk region. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said air-defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 151 Ukrainian drones overnight over several Russian regions and the Black Sea.
The ministry said the interceptions took place over the regions of Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Rostov, Smolensk, Tver, Tula and Yaroslavl, as well as the Moscow region and its suburbs, and the Republic of Crimea, in addition to the waters of the Black Sea.
Drones intercepted over Russian regions
The developments came after US President Donald Trump wrote on Sunday on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had reached an agreement. Trump said: “As of now, there is a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed to this. Do not violate it!”
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was surprised by Trump’s announcement, but indicated that his country was prepared to accept the US proposal on condition that the truce be mutual and accompanied by “real guarantees”. In his view, those guarantees would include punitive measures against Moscow by Kyiv’s allies, including Washington. Zelenskyy added in a statement to Axios: “If President Trump negotiated with Putin, tell us when the ceasefire begins.
We are ready and will accept it.” Zelenskyy had earlier rejected a US call to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, demanding that Moscow first stop its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
He also questioned Moscow’s intentions, pointing to the continuation of Russian strikes, including several air raids targeting energy infrastructure, at a time when there were no signs that the Kremlin was abiding by the ceasefire announced by Trump.
