At least one person lost his life and more than 18 others suffered injuries, which included four children as residential and religious infrastructure suffered damage in an attack carried out by Russia on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, informed the governor of the region on Sunday (July 23).
“Odesa: another night attack of the monsters. Unfortunately, we have one civilian killed as a result of the nighttime terrorist attack by Russians on Odesa,” said Oleg Kiper on Telegram. Earlier, he had said that there were “18 victims, including four children,” in an attack launched by Russia at 3:00 am (0000 GMT).
“Fourteen people were hospitalised in the city’s hospitals, three of them were children,” he stated. He added that the attack also led to “damage to civilian infrastructure, residential buildings and a religious institution”.
Ukraine’s repeated appeals for more defence systems
Head of Ukraine’s presidential office Andriy Yermak repeated the call of Kyiv for more defence systems and missiles after the attack on Odesa.
“The enemy must be deprived of the ability to hit civilians and infrastructure. More missile defence systems, as well as ATACMS – this will help Ukraine,” he stated on Telegram while speaking about the long-range tactical missiles which Kyiv has been appealing to Washington to supply.
Since the start of the invasion, Odesa has been bombed multiple times and the city’s historic centre was designated as a World Heritage in Danger site by the United Nations Cultural Agency (UNESCO) in January.
Odeas, along with other Ukrainian food export facilities, has been pounded by Russia almost daily for the past week after Moscow’s withdrawal from the United Nations-brokered grain deal, which allowed for the Ukrainian grain’s safe shipment.
On its Telegram messaging app, Ukraine’s Air Force said that high-precision Onyx missiles along with sea-to-shore Kalibr cruise missiles has been launched by Russia on Odesa after midnight on Sunday.
WATCH | Russia attacks Odesa for the third day
It was reported by the RBC-Ukraine news agency that the city’s largest Orthodox church, which is the Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral which was consecrated in 1809 has suffered severe damages in the attacks.
In the social media videos, rubble can be seen inside a dark church-like structure which was put on fire and a distressed man can be seen walking and repeating, “The church is no longer.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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