Russian missiles hit 'critical infrastructure' in Ukraine's Odesa

Russian missile strikes hit 'critical infrastructure' in Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa on Sunday morning, Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman of the Operational Staff of Odesa regional military administration said.

'One of the critical infrastructure objects was hit this morning', and 'currently the situation is under control, the respective services are working on site. The details will be announced later', Bratchuk was quoted as saying by CNN.

About the attack, Odesa City's Council also posted the information on its official Telegram account, saying, 'Odesa was attacked from the air. Some of the missiles were downed by our air defence system. In some districts, fire has broken out.'

Earlier in the day, a fuel depot in Odesa witnessed explosions.

A series of explosions were heard in Odesa at the fuel depot before sunrise, CNN reported citing a witness.

Various drones were seen in the skies around the area and that also for the past two days, according to CNN citing multiple witnesses.

Till now no casualties have been reported.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of the Russian National Defence Control Center said that over 60 foreign ships were unable to leave Ukrainian ports because of the threat of shelling and mines.

"Over 60 foreign vessels continue to be blocked in Ukrainian ports. The threat of shelling and high mine danger created by the official Kiev in its internal waters and territorial sea does not allow ships to safely go out," Mizintsev said at a Saturday briefing.

He added that the Russian forces open a humanitarian corridor (a safe lane in the south-western direction from the territorial waters of Ukraine) every day, but there is still a threat of drift of Ukrainian mines torn from anchor along the coast of the Black Sea states.

On Thursday, Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the Ukrainian Navy had placed 420 anchor mines in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea between February 25 and March 4.

At least ten of these mines have been drifting freely in the western part of the Black Sea after a storm that tore the anchor cables.

Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, after the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kyiv forces.

Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarise and 'denazify' Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

• Russia Attacks Ukraine