A series of explosions was heard on Sunday morning in Odessa, a coastal city in southwestern Ukraine, various sources indicated and an AFP journalist noted.
The explosions were felt around 06:00 (local time) and caused at least three plumes of black smoke with visible flames, apparently in an industrial area of this strategic port on the Black Sea.
A hotel employee downtown said he heard a plane, but a military man near the site of one of the explosions indicated that it was a rocket or a missile.
“The Odessa region is part of the enemy’s priority objectives. The enemy continues its perfidious practice of attacking sensitive infrastructure,” said Nazarov, who reiterated the ban on reporting the location or damage caused by the attacks.
Anton Herashchenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of the Interior, wrote on Telegram: “Odessa was attacked by air. Fires are observed in certain areas. Some of the missiles were shot down by air defense.”
For his part, the councillor of the Odessa City Council, Petro Obukhov, condemned on his Facebook profile the attack by Russian troops and assured that the city will not forget or forgive anything.
“The enemy carried out a missile attack in Odessa. One of the targets was a fuel tank. We will not forget or forgive anything,” he said.
BLOCKADE CONTINUES
Despite losing control over areas close to the capital, Russian naval forces maintain the blockade of the Ukrainian coast in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, preventing Ukraine from resupplying by sea, according to the latest intelligence report from the British Defense Ministry.
Russia still retains the ability to attempt an amphibious landing, but that operation is likely to have its risks due to the time that Ukrainian forces have had to prepare, adds the report released this Sunday.
Mines that may be in the Black Sea pose a risk to maritime activity, he adds.
Although the origin of these mines is not yet clear, their presence is almost certain due to Russian naval activity in the area and demonstrates how the Russian invasion of Ukraine affects civilian interests.
(With information from AFP and EFE)
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