ODESA:
A wave of Russian drone strikes overnight on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa left one person dead and at least 14 others injured, Ukrainian officials said on Friday. The attack caused significant damage to residential high-rises, railway infrastructure, and other civilian sites, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of Ukraine’s largest Black Sea port.
The regional governor, Oleh Kiper, confirmed the toll and released images of smouldering apartment blocks and damaged homes. “Despite active air defence operations, civilian infrastructure was hit, including residential buildings, a university, a gas pipeline, and private vehicles,” he wrote on Telegram.
Emergency services reported that at least 10 drone strikes targeted residential areas, sparking multiple fires. The state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, also reported damage to Odesa’s main train station, including harm to power lines and tracks.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 86 drones across the country overnight. Of these, 34 were intercepted, and 36 were neutralized via electronic warfare or were likely drone decoys. However, eight strikes still managed to hit their targets.
The city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine was also attacked, with several private homes and apartment buildings damaged, according to local authorities.
Wider Escalation
The Odesa strike came just days after one of the deadliest barrages in Kyiv in recent months. On June 17, Russian missiles and drones rained down on the capital, killing at least 14 people and wounding dozens. President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the most horrific attacks” since the start of the full-scale invasion over three years ago.
Speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, Zelensky condemned the overnight onslaught across multiple cities. “It was one of the biggest attacks since the war began. Our families endured a very difficult night,” he said. According to the president, a total of 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched in coordinated attacks nationwide.
Among the injured in the latest strikes were two girls, aged 12 and 17, and three emergency responders. Zelensky urged the global community to act, warning against complacency: “We need support from our allies. The world cannot turn a blind eye.”
AFP correspondents reported thick smoke over Kyiv’s skyline at dawn, with rescue crews searching through the rubble of a destroyed apartment block. “It was probably the most hellish night in my memory,” said 20-year-old student Alina Shtompel.
More than three years into its invasion, Russia shows no signs of de-escalating, continuing to strike Ukrainian cities even as diplomatic efforts by the United States and others to broker a ceasefire remain stalled.
