The death toll after a Russian drone strike on an apartment block in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa rose to 10, on Sunday (Mar 3) after rescuers found two more bodies of a woman and her eight-month-old baby. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president called on Western countries to ramp up the delivery of air defence systems after a barrage of Russian strikes.
What we know about drone strike in Odesa
The attack, on Saturday (Mar 2), also claimed the lives of a four-month-old baby and a two-year-old, according to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The eight-month-old baby was one of three children to die as a result of the strike, said the prosecutor general’s office.
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The “body of the deceased woman,” was being pulled from the rubble, said Odesa region governor Oleg Kiper in a post on Telegram.
A few minutes later, Kiper added, “the body of another dead baby has just been found next to the woman’s body”. The update comes a day after Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said that the strike destroyed a nine-storey building.
Around 100 rescue workers were involved in the search late on Saturday. Kiper said the search and rescue operation was going on.
“A mother tried to cover her eight-month-old baby with her body. They were found in a tight embrace,” said Ukrainian emergency services on Telegram. “Two more lives were taken by terrorists,” they added.
Sunday was declared a day of mourning in Odesa. “Today, Odesa and the region are mourning the victims of the Russian attack,” said the Ukrainian regional official. He added, “It is a great pain not only for the Odesa region, but for the whole of Ukraine.”
Zelensky calls for Western air defence systems
Zelensky, on Saturday, urged Western countries to rapidly deliver more air-defence systems following a barrage of Russian strikes in recent days.
Overnight attacks, between Friday and Saturday, on frontline regions of Kharkiv in the northeast and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south killed another three people, reported AFP citing Ukrainian officials.
“We need more air defences from our partners. We need to strengthen the Ukrainian air shield to add more protection for our people from Russian terror,” said the Ukrainian president, in a post on social media.
He added, “More air-defence systems and more missiles for air-defence systems save lives.”
Ukrainian drone strike in Crimea
Ukraine launched 38 drones at the Crimean Peninsula early Sunday, said the Russian defence ministry, adding that its air defence systems destroyed all of them. However, Moscow did not say whether there was any damage or casualties.
Meanwhile, Russian-installed officials in Crimea said road traffic near Feodosia was significantly restricted. Officials also reported a brief closure of the Crimea bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland before resuming at around 7:10 am (local time).
Feodosia residents, according to Russian and Ukrainian media reports, said powerful explosions were heard in the area of the seaport and an oil depot at about 2:00 am (local time).
The Crimean Peninsula was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.
(With inputs from agencies)
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