Twenty wounded in Russian bombing of the Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv and Odessa

Russia shelled the Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv and Odessa in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in the injury of at least twenty people, according to local authorities.

Governor Vitaliy Kim wrote on Telegram that "the Russians hit the city center. A garage and a three-story residential building caught fire."

He added that a total of eighteen people were injured, with nine of them, including five children, being admitted to the hospital and one person being rescued from under the rubble.

Kim did not disclose additional details about the attack, particularly regarding the type of weapon used in the strike.

Meanwhile, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych wrote on Telegram, "There is a large hole in the ground near a three-story residential building," confirming that "the fire is very serious."

He further stated, "At least five residential buildings have suffered damage," and mentioned that "about 15 garages" were also affected in another location.

In images shared by Senkevych online, firefighters can be seen trying to extinguish the fire in a building.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force announced on Telegram that it had detected missile launches toward the Odessa region and issued an air raid warning. Local governor Oleh Khyber urged residents to stay in shelters.

In the coastal city of Odessa, located about a hundred kilometers southwest of Mykolaiv, another Russian attack resulted in the injury of two people who were transported to the hospital, according to the local governor.

Governor Oleg Khyber wrote on Telegram, "Following the Russian attack, there was destruction in central Odessa," without specifying the nature of the attack.

He added that the relevant authorities are working diligently.

Images posted by Serhiy Franchuk, the spokesperson for the local military administration, show a man sweeping scattered glass fragments in front of a building, alongside another building with several broken windows.

Earlier in the night, the Ukrainian Air Force announced on Telegram that it had detected missile launches toward the Odessa region, prompting an air raid warning. Khyber called on residents to remain in shelters.

This is the third consecutive night of Russian attacks on Odessa.

In a Tuesday-Wednesday night attack, "grain stations and port infrastructure" in the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk were targeted, causing damage, especially to "silos and docks at Odessa port."

The Russian military, on the other hand, claimed that they only targeted "military-industrial sites, fuel infrastructure, and ammunition depots belonging to the Ukrainian army."

On Wednesday, Moscow announced that it would consider any ship heading to grain ports in Ukraine on the Black Sea as a military target. In response, Kyiv called for international protection for these cargo vessels after the expiration of a crucial agreement for global food security.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP