Russian attack on Ukraine's Odesa region causes fire at port and power outages

KYIV, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Russian troops hit port and energy infrastructure in an overnight attack on Ukraine's Odesa region, causing a fire at a major port and disrupting electricity supplies to tens of thousands of people, a senior Ukrainian official said on Monday.

Ukraine's Black Sea ports are crucial for its export-driven economy and their security and functionality have been vital for the country's economic survival throughout nearly four years of war in Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

"Russia is attempting to disrupt maritime logistics by launching systematic attacks on port and energy infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram app. "Last night, ports and energy facilities were targeted again."

Kuleba said that following the attacks, a fire had broken out in the port of Pivdennyi and about 30 containers of flour and vegetable oil were on fire. Port workers and emergency services were tackling the blaze.

Because of damage to the energy infrastructure, electricity supplies were disrupted to more than 120,000 customers in the Odesa region, he said. One person had been hurt in the attack, the interior ministry said.

Russia did not immediately comment on the overnight attack.

In the past few weeks, Russia has increased attacks on Odesa port and the surrounding region, trying to limit Ukraine's access to the Black Sea and disrupt critical logistics routes to the border with Moldova, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine also targets Russia's maritime logistics, increasingly focusing on shadow-fleet oil tankers that are used to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia over the war.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage)