Russia attacks port area of Izmail for 4th time in a week as Blinken visits Ukraine

By SAMYA KULLAB
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say Russia struck the port area of Izmail along the Danube River for a fourth time over five days. Odesa’s regional governor said on Thursday the port area was attacked with Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight. The attack in Izmail came a day after a Russian missile struck a busy market in the eastern city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk, killing 17 and wounding at least 32. Both overshadowed a two-day visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, aimed at assessing Ukraine’s 3-month-old counteroffensive and signaling continued U.S. support. Russia has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s grain export infrastructure since mid-July, when it exited a U.N.-backed deal that had allowed for the safe shipping of Ukrainian grain.