Russian forces struck the port of Izmail in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine, causing a fire at the port's infrastructure, according to local authorities. The attack came just one day after Ukraine shelled Russia's Novorossiysk port.
In a Telegram statement early Thursday, the Izmail regional administration said Russian forces hit “port infrastructure,” causing damage and a fire. Rescue workers were at the scene to extinguish the blaze.
Izmail, located near the Romanian border, is home to Ukraine's largest port on the Danube River, handling grain and other goods.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that his country needs 5% of the US Patriot interceptor missiles to get through the winter and 10% to destroy all Russian ballistic missiles.
Russia has recently launched a series of missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, roughly once a week, killing civilians and destroying homes. In one attack, Ukraine failed to intercept any of the 28 ballistic missiles fired toward the country.
Zelensky said that this year, Ukraine “has only 2.5 times fewer interceptor missiles than in 2025.” He said: “Russia now has twice as many ballistic missiles per month as before. This year, I asked American partners to sell me 5% of the missiles they have in stock.”
“If they sell us 5%, we will survive the winter and save lives. If they sell us 10%, we will destroy all Russian ballistic missiles. I currently have only 1%,” he added.
Ukraine has reported a severe shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in February, diverting supplies of these advanced systems.
Ballistic missiles are much harder to intercept than cruise missiles or drones because they travel faster and follow a steep trajectory.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Air Force announced it would stop publishing detailed figures on Russian ballistic missile attacks amid its difficulties intercepting the increasing strikes.
The restriction concerns “the number of targets launched, shot down, suppressed, or failing to reach their targets,” the head of the air force communications department, Yurii Ihnat, said on Facebook. Real-time alerts will continue, and the air force will still provide overview data on Russian missile launches.
Last month, Russia fired more than 450 missiles at Ukraine, nearly 200 of which flew on a ballistic trajectory.
When asked whether the US had responded to his requests, Zelensky expressed hope of receiving interceptor missiles. “From 1% to 5%, I have a few months and millions of phone calls and other things. I do some things I can't share. That doesn't mean it's illegal. But I can't talk about it,” he said.
