The stalemate is broken by the scream of sirens as Russia launches a brutal new offensive on Odesa, turning the Black Sea pearl into a killing zone and targeting the very warmth that keeps Ukrainians alive.

In a coordinated assault that defies the "frozen conflict" narrative, Russian missiles and drones have pounded Odesa and Kharkiv, killing at least 12 people. The targets were cynical and precise: energy infrastructure and a passenger train. n Kharkiv, five civilians died when a drone struck a carriage carrying 200 passengers—a war crime in motion. In Odesa, the strikes left "colossal destruction" at an energy facility, plunging thousands into freezing darkness.

The War on Warmth

“Shahed. Shahed. Shahed… There are two days this month without attack,” says Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy, pointing to a calendar marked in red. The strategy is clear: if Moscow cannot take the city, it will make it uninhabitable. By targeting energy grids in the depths of winter, the Kremlin is weaponizing the cold against civilians.

Anastasia, a 35-year-old displaced from Donetsk, now finds herself under fire again in Odesa. "I was sleeping... the building shook," she recounts. Her fear is the heartbeat of a city under siege. President Zelensky has condemned the attacks as an erosion of diplomatic efforts, urging allies to step up pressure.

• The Toll: 12 dead, dozens wounded, including a pregnant woman.
• The Targets: Energy grid, residential buildings, and a passenger train.
• The Context: A pivot back to the Black Sea theater as land fronts stall.

Global Ripples

The attacks on Odesa are not just a Ukrainian tragedy; they are a threat to global food security. Odesa is the artery for grain exports that feed nations like Kenya. Any disruption here sends shockwaves through the price of maize and wheat in Nairobi. The war is far away, but the hunger it threatens is local.