Cathedral bombed in attack on Odessa – two dead

A total of 22 people, including four children, were injured in the attack and two people lost their lives, AFP reports.

An Orthodox cathedral in central Odessa has been damaged in the attack.

Six residential buildings have also been destroyed, the governor writes on Telegram. Many buildings have broken windows, damaged roofs and facades.

Rescue services are working to search for the injured and put out fires in the port city.

Several Russian attacks

The air alert warning of Russian attacks went off several times during the night in the region. At 02.45 at the latest, residents were urged to quickly seek shelter again after the night’s first bombardment. Two hours later the danger was over.

Odessa, as well as the southern region’s port infrastructure, has been attacked by Russia several times this week.

Among other things, 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed in an attack on the port of Odessa overnight Wednesday, in what appears to have been part of an ongoing effort to cripple Ukraine’s food exports since Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal.

Bombed repeatedly

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Odessa on the Black Sea was a holiday destination popular with both Ukrainians and Russians. Since the invasion began in February last year, the port city has been bombed repeatedly.

In January of this year, the UN agency Unesco placed Odessa’s historic center on its list of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

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