Two Romanian villages were evacuated on Monday after a drone struck a Turkish-flagged tanker, setting it ablaze in southern Ukraine.
The MT Orinda was hit while offloading liquefied petroleum gas in a Ukrainian border city near Romania, sparking fires while more than a dozen workers were onboard.
The strike came the day after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky signed a deal to import energy resources through the area of the strike.
Follow our live blog on the strike here.
It was only the latest in Russia’s sustained use of drones, missiles and artillery to batter the Odesa region, especially its Black Sea ports, since its full-scale invasion of its neighbour nearly four years ago.
Here’s all you need to know about the strike on the Turkish tanker.
What happened?
The strike on the Turkish tanker came as part of an overnight Russian air attack in which it fired two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 128 strike and decoy drones across the country during the night, according to figures from Ukraine's air force.
MT Orinda was hit while it was offloading liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail port, Turkey's Directorate for Maritime Affairs said, adding that all 16 crew on board were evacuated and no one was hurt.
Although Ukrainian officials didn't comment on the tanker strike, the head of Odesa’s regional military administration Oleh Kiper said Russian drones attacked the region overnight, damaging energy and port infrastructure in several cities.
Multiple fires and several civilian vessels were damaged in the attack, Mr Kiper said, adding that one person was injured.
The incident came as Emmanuel Macron hosted Zelensky at the Elysee Palace in France, where the pair announced a deal to provide Kyiv with 100 Rafale fighter jets.
Where was the strike?
The strike was on a ship in the Izmail Port, which sits on the Danube River which delineates the entire border between Romania and Ukraine.
Izmail is a city and municipality in the southern Odesa region, which hosts the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube delta.
We’ve created a map of exactly where the strike took place.
Why were towns evacuated?
Authorities in Romania, meanwhile, ordered the evacuation of people and animals from two villages close to Izmail on the Romanian side of the border.
Most of the scores of evacuated people come from the border village of Plauru, in Romania’s eastern Tulcea district.
The decision was made over fears the tanker could explode, with Romanian authorities warning the nature of the tanker's cargo - liquefied natural gas (LNG) which is a flammable substance - required such precautions.
Was the attack a Russian response to Kyiv’s new gas deal?
Lying on a Black Sea estuary, Izmail is one of a string of ports that are vital for Ukrainian imports and exports, particularly as Russia targets Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Zelensky is trying to secure imports of gas and other energy which would help see his country through the approaching winter, amid growing fears that it could be one of the most difficult for Ukraine.
The strike came just one day after the Ukrainian president had visited Greece to agree a deal for US liquefied natural gas to flow to Odesa, via pipelines from the northern Greek port of Alexandroupolis starting in January.
"As of today, we have prepared an agreement on gas for Ukraine," Mr Zelensky said according to The Kyiv Independent. "This will be another route for gas supply — to maximize the security of import routes for Ukraine during winter."
Ukraine war live: Trump ‘in secret talks’ with Putin envoy over Gaza-style peace deal
Major motorway closed after hazardous chemicals spilled in tanker crash
What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers? The French have a recipe for that
Two Ukrainians who ‘collaborated with Russia’ were behind railway blast, Poland says
Germany's Merz under fire in Brazil for his comments on Amazon host city of COP30
Devastation in the Kharkiv region following Russia’s deadly strike that killed three
