German Foreign Minister Wadephul in secret visit to Ukraine's Odessa

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Tuesday visited the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa.

The minister travelled to the Black Sea city by car from Kiev with only a small delegation due to security reasons, with the port being a key target for missile and drone attacks from Russia.

Wadephul was accompanied by his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha.

Due to the threat of targeted Russian attacks, the visit was kept secret until Wadephul departed for neighbouring Moldova.

With around 1 million residents, Odessa is the third-largest city in Ukraine after Kiev and Kharkiv.

Its oil refineries, chemical and metalworking industries, and importance as a transport hub have made the port a key target of Russian ballistic missiles from the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

On Saturday, two people were killed in a drone strike on a tower block in the city, with 14 others injured.

Wadephul's visit came one day after he made his inaugural visit to the Ukrainian capital since taking office in May. The minister promised intense cooperation on defence between Germany and Ukraine.

Germany is one of Ukraine's key backers in the country's ongoing defence against the Russian invasion.