Russian Missile Attack Hits Odesa, Ukraine: Casualties and Destruction Confirmed

Russian Attack on Odessa Causes Casualties and Destruction

Russian forces launched a rocket attack on Odessa, the largest coastal city in Ukraine. The attack resulted in casualties and many injuries. Local authorities responded with strong explosions in the city. They urged residents to stay in safe places and seek shelter.

Oleg Kiper, the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration, confirmed the rocket attack on the city. He stated, “Russian terrorists conducted a rocket attack on Odessa. There are casualties and injuries. Damage occurred to civilian infrastructure, especially residential buildings.”

City officials reported that schools with children in supervision managed to move to shelters safely. Residents shared images on social media of smoke rising into the sky and bodies on the streets. Some reports indicated that a rocket hit the yard of a multi-story residential building.

According to Deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko, several residential blocks in central Odessa are on fire. He noted that eight people died, and many others were injured. Another rocket that did not explode fell on an educational institution.

Preliminary reports indicate 18 injuries, with some individuals in critical condition. Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, condemned the attack. He stated, “In Odessa, the Russians killed people with a targeted attack on civilian infrastructure. Russian killers do not even hide their intentions.”

Videos and photos from the blast site depict shocking scenes and are not suitable for sharing. More than 300,000 people in Odessa region experienced power outages. The southern part of the regional center faced the worst conditions. The city had little to no water, with residents rushing to buy bottled water.

Officials announced that schools in Odessa would be closed today and tomorrow. This decision aimed to ease transportation loads, as trams and trolleybuses were halted. Cold conditions in many schools also motivated the closure. Schools have set up shelter points, and communication problems made relocating students impractical.

An eyewitness named Anna described the incident, saying, “This is just a horror film; the ground was burning, and there was a powerful explosion. We all sat in the basement; a window shattered, but somehow my children, my mother, and I were not harmed. The fire is here, and the children are scared, crying.”