On Monday, November 17, 2025, the Black Sea’s fragile calm was shattered when a drone struck the Turkish-flagged tanker MT Orinda, igniting a fire as it was offloading liquefied petroleum gas at the Izmail port in Ukraine’s Odesa region. According to Turkey’s Directorate for Maritime Affairs, all 16 crew members aboard the Orinda were swiftly evacuated, with no injuries reported—a rare stroke of luck amid the ongoing violence that has gripped southern Ukraine’s ports since the Russian invasion nearly four years ago.
This latest incident, reported by both the Associated Press and 9News, comes at a particularly tense moment. Just one day prior, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had signed a pivotal deal to import U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Odesa region. The agreement, finalized during Zelenskyy’s official visit to Greece, aims to secure Ukraine’s energy needs as winter approaches—a season made even harsher by Russia’s persistent attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure.
The Orinda was struck during a period of heightened aggression in the region. Russian drones, missiles, and artillery have repeatedly battered Odesa and its vital Black Sea ports, targeting not only military sites but also critical infrastructure and civilian vessels. Regional military administration head Oleh Kiper confirmed that Russian drones attacked the Odesa region overnight, damaging energy and port facilities in several cities. The assault sparked multiple fires and damaged an unspecified number of civilian vessels, with at least one person injured in the chaos.
Izmail, perched on a Black Sea estuary, is one of several crucial ports for Ukrainian imports and exports. Its strategic importance has only grown as Russia intensifies its campaign against Ukraine’s supply lines. In response to the drone strike on the Orinda and the volatile nature of the tanker’s cargo, Romanian authorities ordered the evacuation of people and animals from two villages near Izmail, underscoring the cross-border risks posed by attacks on energy infrastructure.
While Ukrainian officials refrained from commenting specifically on the tanker incident, the broader context is clear: Odesa and its ports are under sustained threat. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Russia has made no secret of its intent to cripple Ukraine’s economic lifelines. The attacks on ports like Izmail are part of a broader strategy to disrupt exports and imports, thereby weakening Ukraine’s resilience.
Against this backdrop, President Zelenskyy’s agreement with the United States to secure LNG supplies is both a practical and symbolic move. Starting in January 2026, U.S. liquefied natural gas will flow to Odesa via pipelines from the northern Greek port of Alexandroupolis. This route, established through international cooperation, is intended to reduce Ukraine’s dependence on vulnerable domestic infrastructure and ensure the country can keep the lights on through the coldest months.
But the violence is not confined to the Odesa region. Elsewhere in Ukraine, the human toll of the conflict continues to mount. Overnight on November 17, Russian missiles struck Balakliya in the northeastern Kharkiv region, killing three people and injuring 11 others. Among the wounded were four girls, aged 12, 14, 15, and 17—a tragic reminder of the war’s indiscriminate reach. In a separate attack on Nikopol in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian drones and artillery killed two more people and injured two others. The attack damaged high-rise apartment blocks, stores, and even a hair salon, as reported by regional head Vladyslav Haivanenko.
The United Nations estimates that Russian strikes have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians since the start of the war, a staggering figure that underscores the scale of the humanitarian crisis. Each new attack—whether on a tanker in Odesa or an apartment in Balakliya—adds to the growing list of casualties and shattered lives.
The night preceding the tanker strike saw an especially intense barrage. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and launched 128 strike and decoy drones across the country. Ukrainian air defenses responded in kind, with Russia’s Defense Ministry claiming that 36 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight. Ukraine’s efforts to hit back have targeted Russia’s power grid, with a Ukrainian drone damaging an electricity substation in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region. Fortunately, no casualties were reported and local power supplies reportedly continued as normal, according to Ulyanovsk Governor Aleksey Russkikh.
As the conflict grinds on, the attacks on infrastructure—ports, power stations, and pipelines—have become a defining feature of the war. Both sides seek to undermine each other’s ability to wage war and support their populations. For Ukraine, the stakes are especially high as winter looms. The country’s energy grid has already suffered significant damage, and the need for reliable imports of gas and electricity is more urgent than ever.
Zelenskyy’s deal with the U.S. is seen as a way to bolster Ukraine’s energy security in the face of relentless Russian attacks. By importing LNG through a route that begins in Greece and ends in Odesa, Ukraine hopes to insulate itself—at least partially—from the disruptions caused by strikes on domestic infrastructure. The agreement also signals a deepening of ties between Kyiv and Washington, as the U.S. continues to provide not just military aid but also critical economic and logistical support.
Yet, even as Ukraine looks to the future, the present remains fraught with danger. The drone strike on the Orinda is just the latest in a long line of attacks that have targeted both military and civilian assets. The evacuation of Romanian villages near Izmail highlights the regional implications of the conflict, as neighboring countries take precautions against the fallout from attacks on hazardous cargo.
For the crews who work Ukraine’s ports, each day brings new risks. The safe evacuation of the Orinda’s crew is a testament to the professionalism and preparedness of those on the front lines of the country’s economic lifeline. But the threat remains ever-present, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
As winter approaches, Ukraine’s struggle to maintain its energy supplies and protect its people will only intensify. The attacks on Odesa’s ports, the ongoing missile and drone strikes, and the mounting civilian casualties paint a grim picture. Yet, amid the destruction, efforts to secure new energy sources and strengthen international partnerships offer a glimmer of hope for a country determined to endure.
In the shadow of war, Ukraine’s ports have become both a target and a lifeline, embodying the country’s vulnerability and its resilience in equal measure.
