Ukraine's military says it shot down 18 Russian drones overnight

KYIV (Reuters) - Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 19 drones in an overnight attack, Ukraine's military said on Tuesday, but the air force shot down 18 drones, and the last returned to Russian territory.

Russian forces used drones and missiles in the attack on the southern region of Odesa, the air force said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said the drone attack on the city of Chornomorsk caused fires on three floors of an apartment building but there were no casualties.

It also set off a fire, now extinguished, at an administrative and production building in Odesa district, he added, while one drone fell in an open area without detonating.

A Russian missile also hit a Palau-flagged vessel in Odesa port on Monday, killing a Ukrainian national and injuring five crew members in the second such attack in as many days, officials said.

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Kim Coghill and Clarence Fernandez)