KYIV, Ukraine — Three people were killed when a Russian drone hit an apartment block in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said Saturday.
A further eight people sustained injuries, authorities said.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that the Odesa region was attacked by eight drones, of which seven were shot down by air defenses.
Across the country more widely, air defenses shot down 14 of 17 drones launched against Ukraine, according to the country’s Armed Forces.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported Saturday morning that over 20 settlements in the eastern Ukrainian province had sustained Russian artillery and mortar attacks, while high-rise buildings in the regional capital, also called Kharkiv, were damaged by a drone attack.
He said that there were no casualties, but that three people suffered an “acute stress reaction.”
In the partly occupied Kherson region, Russian artillery shelling killed a 53-year-old man on Saturday morning, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office said.
In Russia, a drone crashed into an apartment building in St. Petersburg Saturday morning, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Six people received medical help after the explosion rocked the building, the agency said, citing the press service of the city’s health care committee.
The Mash news site said that the apartment building was hit by a Ukrainian drone. The Associated Press could not verify this claim.
The site published videos appearing to show the moment the apartment building was struck, showing a strong flash of light engulfing one side of the building and fragments of debris flying into the air. Another video showed car alarms going off.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.
In a tragic turn of events, three civilians were killed in a Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa. The attack, which took place on Tuesday morning, has sent shockwaves through the region and raised concerns about escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
According to reports, the drone strike targeted a residential area in Odesa, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Among the victims were two women and a child, who were caught in the crossfire as they went about their daily lives. The attack has been condemned by Ukrainian officials, who have called it a blatant violation of international law.
The Russian government has yet to comment on the incident, but the strike is believed to be part of a larger military campaign against Ukraine. Tensions between the two countries have been high since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, and recent military build-ups along the border have raised fears of a full-scale conflict.
The international community has also expressed concern over the situation in Ukraine, with many calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The United Nations has condemned the drone strike and called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life.
As the situation in Ukraine continues to escalate, it is important for all parties involved to prioritize diplomacy and dialogue in order to avoid further bloodshed. The people of Odesa and Ukraine as a whole deserve to live in peace and security, free from the threat of violence and conflict.
In the wake of this tragic drone strike, it is crucial for the international community to come together and support efforts to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine. The lives lost in Odesa serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of war, and it is incumbent upon all nations to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Only through cooperation and dialogue can we hope to prevent further tragedies like this one from occurring in the future.
