Escalating Russian airstrikes aim to cut Ukraine off from sea, Zelenskiy says

A firefighter works at the site of a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region, Ukraine in this handout picture released December 20, 2025. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region/Handout via REUTERS

KYIV, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Russia is trying ‌to sever Ukraine's access to the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday, following days of ramped-up airstrikes ‌on ports and energy facilities in the Odesa region and a critical route to the Moldova border.

Russia has ‌unleashed an almost continuous drone and missile campaign against a region where ports key to Ukraine's foreign trade and fuel supplies operate, after Moscow threatened to cut "Ukraine off from the sea".