Thursday’s wave of Russian air strikes damaged energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, causing “major troubles with the power supply,” regional governor Maksym Marchenko said on Telegram.
“There are hits and damage to several energy infrastructure facilities in the Odesa region and other regions of the country,” Marchenko wrote.
The strikes came less than 24 hours after the historic center of the regional capital, the port city of Odesa, was added to the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay had said then he hoped the move would help protect the city from the war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday that the attack was in response to the listing.
“Among [the] targets of today’s mass missile strike, Russia struck Odesa causing massive power outages,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “This destruction is Putin’s response to UNESCO inscribing Odesa on its World Heritage List yesterday and placing it under reinforced protection of the World Heritage in Danger List.”
More than 30 Russian missiles were reportedly launched at Ukraine on Thursday morning, just hours after two dozen attack drones were shot down.
Missile strikes have been reported in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Odesa and Vinnytsia regions.
