NATO was forced to scramble warplanes on the border of Ukraine after a savage strike by Russian drones. Vladimir Putin’s forces targeted energy and port infrastructure facilities in Odesa and the surrounding region close to the estuary of the Danube River.
Huge flames were seen at a power facility in Port Izmail, just hundreds of yards from the NATO state Romania. The strikes indicate the Kremlin ruler has little or no interest in successful peace talks to end the war.
Two F-16 fighter jets from the 86th Air Base in Fetești were scrambled in Romania in the early hours of Boxing Day.
“The air surveillance system of the Ministry of National Defence identified groups of drones launched by the Russian Federation towards the Ukrainian ports on the Danube,” said an official statement.
The Western warplanes flew for more than two hours as residents of Romania’s Tulcea County faced an alert over threats to their safety.
In the event “no unauthorised intrusions into the national airspace were recorded during the mission”, said the Romanians.
Since the beginning of the war, debris from Russian drones has been found on Romanian territory 34 times.
In addition, Russian drones had violated the country's airspace 13 times.
Head of the military administration in Odesa, Serhii Lysak, said the port and energy infrastructure were hit in the Putin onslaught.
“Today the enemy attacked our city again,” he said.
“Damage to an infrastructure facility in Odesa was recorded.
“A fire broke out as a result of a UAV hit. Work is underway to eliminate the consequences.”
There were no fatalities, he said.
Reports said the Russians damaged Slovakia-, Palau- and Liberia-flagged vessels in ports in Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
Slovakia is a NATO state.
Ukraine has suffered three killed and 13 injured in Russian attacks at Christmas.
The attacks were in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions.
