A devastating attack in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa has left at least 20 people dead and over 70 injured after Russian missiles pounded the area. The assault, described by President Volodymyr Zelensky as “vile,” targeted residential buildings, ambulances, and a gas pipeline, resulting in a tragic loss of life including rescue workers.
Eyewitness accounts and images from the scene depict a harrowing scene of bodies covered by blankets strewn on the streets, with emergency service workers exhausted and bloodied as they tend to the wounded and extinguish flames. Local authorities confirmed that the strikes involved a type of attack known as a double-tap strike, with the second projectile hitting rescue workers at the scene.
Maria Slyzovska, a witness to the attack, described the chaos and devastation caused by the strikes, emphasizing the impact on civilians and the ongoing dangers faced by residents in conflict zones.
The attack in Odesa is part of a series of fatal barrages exchanged between Kyiv and Moscow, escalating tensions amid presidential elections in Russia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and over 50 member states have condemned Russia’s actions, particularly its attempt to hold elections in occupied regions of Ukraine, which violates international law.
In response to the attacks, Ukraine’s army has reported retaliatory strikes, including drone attacks and shelling on border regions. Russian-installed officials in Donetsk claimed that Ukrainian attacks had resulted in the tragic deaths of three children in a residential area.
The recent surge in violence highlights the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with both sides intensifying efforts to gain strategic advantages in contested regions. The international community continues to express concern over the escalating hostilities and calls for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Sources By Agencies
