Ukraine war updates: Russian missile attack targets Odesa

Moscow launched 19 missiles via land, air and sea on the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukraine said on Sunday. 

Kyiv's airforce said it had destroyed nine of the weapons, "including Oniks cruise missiles, sea-launched Kalibrs and Iskander ballistic missiles". 

Russia's attack left one person dead and injured nearly 20 people, including four children, said Oleg Kiper, the governor of the region. 

In his statement via Telegram, the governor said that Moscow's "nighttime terrorist attack" had damaged the historic Transfiguration Cathedral, which is Odesa's largest Orthodox church building.

Ukraine had previously accused the cathedral of maintaining links to the pro-invasion Russian Orthodox Church, which used to be its parent church but the cathedral in Odesa said that it broke its ties last year.

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visegrad24: The oldest church in Odesa, the Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral, a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, was destroyed in a Russian missile strike last night.

Those who say that Putin is a defender of Christianity are lying. pic.twitter.com/M10Td1TpbA

— GMan (Ґленн) (@FAB87F) July 23, 2023 >

The missile attacks also destroyed six houses and apartment buildings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to retaliate against Moscow on Sunday. 

"Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral," Zelensky said. "There will definitely be a retaliation against Russian terrorists for Odesa."

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Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral... There can be no excuse for Russian evil. As always, this evil will lose. And there will definitely be a retaliation to Russian terrorists for Odesa. They will feel this retaliation.

All those who… pic.twitter.com/gcpD30BFP1

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 23, 2023 >

Moscow has been pounding Odesa and other Ukrainian food export facilities almost every day since it pulled out from the Black Sea grain deal which allowed for the safe shipment of Ukrainian grains to other countries.

Here are some of the other developments from Russia's war in Ukraine on Sunday, July 23.

Russian forces targeting north-eastern Ukraine — UK intelligence

The UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD) said that Russian forces were focusing efforts on northeastern parts of Ukraine, with artillery bombardments and raids.

The MOD said it was likely that Russia was making only "marginal gains" in attacks on the northern section of the eastern Ukrainian frontline regions of Luhansk and Kharkiv.

The MOD said renewed focus on the area "highlights its importance to the Kremlin, when it is concurrently facing significant pressure in the southern Zaporizhzhya sector."

UK military intelligence believes the Russian military is possibly attempting to reach the Oskil River to create a buffer zone around the Luhansk region.

Putin says Ukraine's counteroffensive has 'failed'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko that Ukraine's counteroffensive has failed, according to Russian news agencies.

"There is no counteroffensive," Lukashenko said during talks, according to the TASS news agency before being interrupted by Putin: "There is one, but it has failed."

The meeting is the first the pair have had since the Wagner Group's rebellion in June.

Poland puts battle tank repair hub into action

Poland put into operation a maintenance hub for tanks damaged in Ukraine, said Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak.

The repair center had been called for by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to work on damaged German Leopard 2 battle tanks used in Ukraine.

Pistorius and Blaszczak agreed in April to set up the hub. The work which was supposed to start in May had been halted due to complex maintenance requirements.

Earlier in July during a visit to Poland, Pistorius had criticized the Polish side for being too slow in completing the center.

Poland's Blaszczak tweeted on Saturday that "The repair center in Gliwice is in operation! The first two Leopards have already arrived at the Bumar plant from Ukraine."

NATO-Ukraine Council to meet and discuss grain deal

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is convening a meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council on Wednesday. 

The summit being held at Ukraine's request is aimed at consulting on "the latest developments and to discuss the transport of  Ukrainian grain through Black Sea," said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu. 

Before the announcement of the meeting, Stoltenberg spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the grain deal which allowed Ukraine to ship 33 million tons of grain to other countries despite the conflict. 

Russia not only exited the deal but threatened to attack any ship in the Black Sea region.

"We strongly condemn Moscow's attempt to weaponize food," Stoltenberg tweeted after speaking to Zelensky. 

Referring to the NATO summit held in Lithuania in July, he said "Allies stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes & following NATO summit, Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before."