Russia intensifies drone attacks on ports, Ukraine says

KYIV - Russia has stepped up its targeting of Ukrainian port infrastructure this year, Kyiv said on Monday, using more than 800 drones in its attacks in the first four months of 2026, more than 10 times the number in the same period a year ago.

Keeping seaports in the southern Odesa region open is crucial for Ukraine and its wartime economy as exports, mostly of grains and small volumes of metal, are key for its hard currency revenues as it seeks to repel Russia.

Despite the attacks, more than 30 million metric tons of cargo have been processed at Ukraine's ports since the start of the year, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksii Kuleba said.

Ukraine's southern region has been subject to almost daily Russian attacks in recent months, with officials regularly reporting damage to port infrastructure and warehouses.

Since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian strikes have damaged or partially destroyed more than 900 port facilities, including 177 civilian vessels, Kuleba said on the Telegram app.

Central bank data showed that year-on-year exports of goods from Ukraine rose by only 0.6% in March.

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Alexander Smith)

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 6:38 AM.