UK Defense Ministry: Russia strikes Danube ports to halt shipping.

Russia has conducted several drone strikes against Ukrainian ports on the Danube River in an attempt to halt international trading via these ports, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported[1] on Aug.

4. The U.K. intelligence report emphasized that the Russian kamikaze drones have struck targets as close as 200 meters from the Romanian border, "suggesting that Russia has evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near NATO territory."

The ministry said that Russia is choosing to use drones in the vicinity of NATO borders in the belief that they are less likely to trigger an escalation than cruise missiles. Since its unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia has been systematically targeting Ukraine's ports, agricultural infrastructure, and grain stockpiles. Russian forces launched[2] Shahed kamikaze drones against Ukrainian Izmail and Reni Danube ports on July 24, sparking condemnations from Bucharest.

Izmail was again targeted[3] on Aug.

2. in a drone strike that caused significant damage to its infrastructure, damaging or destroying a grain elevator, grain warehouses, administrative buildings, a container in one of the loading terminals, and destroying over 40,000 metric tons of grain.

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv, southern Ukraine ports hit by Russian strikes overnight Key developments on Aug.

2: * Russian forces launch drone strikes against Kyiv, Odesa oblasts * General Staff: Russia attempts counterattacks near Klishchiivka, Staromaiorske * Politico: Pentagon expects Ukraine's counteroffensive to continue through fall * UK Defense Ministry: Russia likely bu...

[4] Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press.

He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukrainer.

Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

References

1. ^ reported (twitter.com)
2. ^ launched (kyivindependent.com)
3. ^ targeted (kyivindependent.com)
4. ^ Ukraine war latest: Kyiv, southern Ukraine ports hit by Russian strikes overnightKey developments on Aug.

   2: * Russian forces launch drone strikes against Kyiv, Odesa oblasts * General Staff: Russia attempts counterattacks near Klishchiivka, Staromaiorske * Politico: Pentagon expects Ukraine's counteroffensive to continue through fall * UK Defense Ministry: Russia likely bu... (kyivindependent.com)