During a visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, Russia launched a strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa. Fortunately, neither of them was injured, and they continued their visit to the strategic port city. It is uncertain whether the Russian Army specifically targeted them or how close they were to the explosion.
Mr. Mitsotakis mentioned at a news conference in Odesa that they were at the city’s port at the time of the assault. “We heard the sound of sirens and explosions that were very close to us,” he said. “We didn’t have time to go to a shelter.”
Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, reported that Russia had struck port infrastructure in the city, resulting in five deaths.
“You see who we are dealing with,” Mr. Zelensky said. “They don’t care where they strike, whether they are military, civilians, international guests — it doesn’t matter to these people.”
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker who was in Odesa at the time of the attack, said it occurred around 10:40 a.m. “I heard explosions, I was very close to the port,” he said in a text message. “It was very loud.”
It was not immediately clear what weapons Russia used, but Ukraine’s Air Force reported the possible deployment of ballistic missiles. Mr. Pletenchuk said an investigation was underway.
Russia said that its army had launched “a high-precision missile strike on a hangar in the industrial port area of Odesa where preparations were being made for the combat use of unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
Odesa, a lifeline for the Ukrainian economy, is home to a vast port infrastructure vital to Ukraine’s Black Sea exports. Many vessels depart from the port to ship grain and other agricultural products across the Black Sea.
For the past six months, Russia has been targeting grain silos and naval infrastructure with drones and missiles, causing civilian casualties and significant damage to the city.
Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Mitsotakis visited the site of last week’s attack on Wednesday to pay tribute to the victims, laying bouquets of flowers at a makeshift memorial in front of the building. They also visited a cathedral badly damaged by a previous Russian missile strike.
The Ukrainian leader said at the news conference that Wednesday’s attack “speaks to the fact that we need to defend ourselves first and foremost.”
2024-03-06 14:42:37
Post from www.nytimes.com