Russian strike on Odesa injures 4, causes massive power outages
A massive Russian drone strike against the southern city of Odesa and Odesa Oblast overnight on Feb. 19 injured at least four people, including a child, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
All the victims have been hospitalized and are in a condition of moderate severity.
A children's clinic, a kindergarten, high-rise buildings, and cars were damaged in the attack, according to Kiper.
The strike resulted in massive power outages in the city, with 14 schools, 13 kindergartens, and over 500 houses left without electricity and heating, said Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov.
The governor said that emergency power shutdowns are also in effect elsewhere in Odesa Oblast as all relevant services are working to resolve the situation.
"At least 160,000 Odesa residents are now without heat and electricity," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Referring to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's claim during talks with the U.S. in Riyadh that Moscow does not target energy infrastructure, Zelensky said that "Russia is ruled by pathological liars, and they cannot be trusted."
Odesa, a port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast with a population of around 1 million, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks throughout the full-scale war.
Abbey Fenbert
