Two people died and eight others were injured. Including a child and a pregnant woman. People in Russia also needed medical help.
Authorities say at least two people were killed and eight others were injured in a new Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa. Part of a nine-story building was destroyed in Saturday's attack — a total of 18 apartments, authorities said. Odessa region governor Oleh Kiper said earlier in the day that a three-year-old child and a pregnant woman were among the injured.
More people could still be under the rubble. Photos and videos from authorities showed extensive destruction and a field of debris. Helpers were on duty. One person also died in a drone strike in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack and expressed his condolences to the families. Ukraine needs stronger air defense “to effectively protect our people from Russian terror,” he wrote on the X platform (formerly Twitter). “More air defense systems and more anti-aircraft missiles save lives.”
According to the Ukrainian air defense forces, seven out of eight drones were shot down in Odessa alone on Saturday night. Russia has repeatedly attacked the Black Sea metropolis with missiles in a war of aggression that has lasted more than two years.
“Russia is killing civilians,” wrote the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, on Telegram. “We need help to put an end to this.” Ukraine has been demanding significantly more air defense support from the West for months, with additional anti-aircraft systems, in order to better protect cities from Russian attacks. According to the Ukrainian air defense forces, a total of 14 drones and a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter were shot down on Saturday night.
Explosion in St. Petersburg
Meanwhile, several people were injured in an explosion in St. Petersburg on Saturday. According to local media, a drone detonated. Governor Alexander Beglov spoke only of an “incident”. He promised help to residents of the damaged apartments. Authorities said six people sought medical help. A 92-year-old woman was taken to hospital. The explosion shattered windows of the five-story residential building.
Residents were accommodated in a kindergarten. Psychologists are also in charge of caring for those affected, she said. Videos circulated on social media in which a huge explosion could be seen and heard. The authenticity of the recordings could not initially be verified.
There was no comment from the Russian Defense Ministry. The St. Petersburg news portal “Fontanka” reported that the drone may target a nearby oil depot. Drone defense is also in use there. So far, St. Petersburg has barely been hit by missiles. However, Ukraine announced that the range of its drones was increasing.
In its defensive battle against its neighbor's invasion, which has been going on for more than two years, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked targets inside Russia. For example, supplies to Russian troops will be stopped. Russian border regions are particularly affected by Ukrainian counterattacks. But targets deeper inland were also hit. But the damage is in no way comparable to the daily Russian attacks on Ukraine, which bring death and destruction to the country. (APA)