8 injured in Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s Odessa city

Blast wave damaged several high-rise residential buildings, museum in historic part of Odessa, says governor

KIEV

At least eight people were injured on Monday in Russian airstrikes on the city of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine.

“As a result of the night Russian attack on Odesa, eight local residents were injured. Three with minor injuries received the necessary help on the spot, (and) five were hospitalized,” Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

In an earlier statement, Kiper said that a Russian missile hit the city center damaging an industrial building.

Kiper further said the blast wave damaged several high-rise residential buildings and the Odesa Fine Arts Museum in the historic part of the city, which he said is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The Russians directed the ‘Shahed-131/136’ strike drones at the port infrastructure of Odesa. 15 drones were destroyed by our air defense forces,” Kiper added.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the attacks.

Russian airstrikes in Ukraine, notably in Odesa, have intensified since July after a second explosion at the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, has killed over 9,800 civilians and wounded more than 17,900, according to UN figures.