Ukraine and Russia Engage in Escalating Conflict as Russian Forces Launch Drone Barrage on Ukrainian Seaport

On Sunday, Ukrainian forces were met with a 3 ½ hour drone barrage from Russian forces in the Odesa region of Ukraine. The attack occurred on the Reni seaport and resulted in two people being hospitalized. The Ukrainian air force reported that 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones were fired along the Danube River and 22 of them were shot down by air defenses.

The attack occurred the day before Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the resumption of food shipments from Ukraine under a Black Sea grain agreement that Moscow broke off from in July.

Ukraine has been using cluster munitions on the front lines in the conflict with Russia. Cluster munitions are bombs that are designed to disperse multiple smaller bombs over a wide area. These bombs have been used to target Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.

The use of cluster munitions has been condemned by the international community as they are known to cause significant civilian casualties. Despite the criticism, Ukraine has continued to use them in the conflict.

The attack on the Reni seaport is the latest in a series of escalations in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The international community is urging both sides to come to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.