April 30 – A Russian missile attack on Saturday destroyed the newly built airstrip at the main airport in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, a strategic Black Sea port, military and civilian officials said.
“The runway at Odessa airport was destroyed. We will of course rebuild them. But Odessa will never forget Russia’s behavior towards her,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a late-night address.
Odessa regional governor Maksym Marchenko said Russia used a Bastion missile launched from Crimea.
“Thank God no one was hurt. Anti-sabotage measures are being implemented in the region,” he said in a video posted online.
Odessa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said it took 10 years to design and build the new runway, which officially opened last July.
“Thanks to the new runway, we expected a colossal influx of tourists from all over the world. Instead, we got a rocket hit,” he said on Facebook.
“But Odessa is not a city that succumbs to difficulties. We will definitely restore the runway after our victory, and even more tourists will come to us.”
Russia’s military has not yet confirmed the attack.
Reporting by David Ljunggren; Edited by Daniel Wallis and Chris Reese