Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Russian defence forces launched drone attacks Saturday morning on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa. The attack resulted in a fire in at least one high-rise and one death, according to officials.
Russia has intensified its use of drones against Ukraine. The most extensive attacks since the beginning of the full-scale fighting have come since the start of June, with Moscow launching as many as 728 drones in a single night.
How did the drone strike impact Odesa?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the attack on Odesa caused injuries to six people, including a child. Ukraine reiterated a request for additional assistance from allies to augment and hasten local support and production to confront Russia’s attacks. Ukraine’s air force said five missiles and 30 drones had hit 12 targets and seven had struck aerial targets, it noted on Telegram.
President Zelenskiy stated that a “major drone strike” in the northeastern Sumy region struck “critical infrastructure” and left thousands of families without power. Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said at least 20 of the drones were headed for Odesa, a regular target for Russian missiles, and reported that at least one block of multi-storey apartments was on fire.
Images online showed flames coming from the upper floors of the building and emergency crews propping up ladders.
How has Odesa been affected throughout the war?
In a similar attack a few weeks ago, a Russian drone attack injured 14 people and killed two in Ukraine’s Odesa region. Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa regional military administration, said that six people remain in the hospital, with three in serious condition.
“The rest are receiving outpatient care,”
he wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine’s Air Force stated that 22 drones participated in the attack, with air defence units downing 21 of them, and one being neutralised by electronic warfare systems. The Odesa region was identified as the primary target.
The State Emergency Service stated that a 21-story residential building in Odesa was struck, resulting in a fire on three of the top floors. “People were trapped in their apartments,” it noted.
Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov confirmed that emergency responders discovered the bodies of a couple killed in the strike.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones,”
he expressed on social media.
