Russian mass missile, drone strike on Odesa kills 1, injures at least 10
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia attacked the city of Odesa with drones and missiles late in the evening on Nov. 14, striking residential buildings and killing one civilian.
A "massive" Russian aerial attack targeted Odesa and the surrounding region, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
One woman was killed, and at least 10 others were injured, according to the State Emergency Service. The victims include a 9-year-old boy, Kiper said. A 22-year-old man sustained serious injuries and has been hospitalized, while the others are being treated in medical facilities for moderate injuries.
The attack destroyed an apartment building in the city center, Kiper said. Other residential buildings suffered fires and damage. The strike damaged a church, educational institutions, and vehicles.
The attack hit one of Odesa's main heating pipelines, forcing the city to shut down one of its boiler houses. According to Kiper, the system was responsible for heating 220 apartment buildings, seven kindergartens, and four schools.
The boiler house also provided heat to a maternity hospital, where there are currently 22 babies and 28 people giving birth, Kiper said. The hospital is able to heat itself with its generator, and repairs are underway at the boiler house.
Emergency services are at work at the sites of the attack.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, called the strike on Odesa a "terrorist attack."
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin just likes to fight civilians," he said.
Russia has ramped up its drone attacks across Ukraine, including in major cities like Odesa and the capital, Kyiv. Consecutive drone strikes targeted Odesa on Nov. 8 and 9, killing and injuring civilians.
Ukrainian officials have warned about the looming threat to the country's energy and heating systems ahead of the winter months. The interim head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo said on Oct. 29 that the country may be facing its most challenging winter since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Dinara Khalilova
