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Ukraine's Odesa region has become a focal point of intensified Russian missile attacks, with regional head Oleh Kiper stating that it's not possible to fully protect its three expansive ports. Kiper's comments to the BBC follow a tragic strike on a two-storey building north-west of Odesa city, which claimed the lives of a 16-year-old girl, two women, and a man. This marks the fourth attack on the Black Sea coastal region in just five days. The missile, likely intended for an infrastructure facility, instead hit the residential building.

Russia has remained silent on the barrage of missile strikes. The increased frequency of these attacks has been devastating, with a further nine people killed in an assault on a cargo ship on Thursday. The Odesa region has experienced frequent ballistic missile attacks before, but the current rate is unprecedented. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba reported that Russia conducted 60 such attacks over three months, damaging or destroying almost 300 port facilities and resulting in 79 casualties and hits on 22 civilian vessels.

Kiper pointed out the impossibility of covering all three ports with existing air defenses, given that they span around 80 kilometers (50 miles). The focus, he added, is primarily on the city of Odesa, home to over a million residents, leaving other ports and towns in a precarious situation. The significance of Odesa's ports is amplified as other Ukrainian ports in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolayiv regions are no longer operational.

The struck ports are vital to Ukraine's economy, and Kiper suggested Russia's strategy may be to disrupt economic stability and instill fear globally about its capabilities by targeting civilian vessels. He noted that these attacks aim to deter insurance companies and ship owners from entering the combat zone, thereby crippling Ukraine's export potential.

In a related development, Ukraine's prosecutor-general has launched criminal proceedings into the death of a notable Ukrainian journalist, Viktoriia Roshchyna. Roshchyna, who had reported life under occupation in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, was detained by Russian authorities in August 2023. Her death in Russian custody on 19 September, confirmed only months later, represented a significant loss for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky described her death as a heavy blow, emphasizing the ongoing tragedy of captured and deported Ukrainians.

Zelensky, on a diplomatic mission, recently met Pope Francis in the Vatican and subsequently held talks in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Promoting a "victory plan" to end the war, he stressed the importance of continued aid. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also reaffirmed her country's support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian forces keep making advances in eastern Ukraine. Authorities in Toretsk noted that only 40-50% of the city remains under Ukrainian control. Both Toretsk and Pokrovsk are crucial for maintaining the army's supply lines.

Ukraine recently struck a substantial oil terminal in Russian-occupied Crimea, causing a fire that continues to blaze. This retaliatory attack was linked to Russian strikes that have devastated much of Ukraine's power infrastructure. Despite ongoing hostilities, the newly appointed Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte affirmed the alliance's ongoing support for Ukraine as it braces for a third winter under the pressure of the full-scale invasion.