KYIV, UKRAINE: Russia launched a drone attack on southern port city of Odesa in Ukraine early Wednesday however, there were no immediate reports of casualties, said the authorities.
“At night, the enemy carried out an attack by UAVs of the Shahed-136 type on the Odesa region,” head of the Odesa district military administration Yuriy Kruk said in a statement on Telegram. Kruk said Ukraine’s air defences destroyed most of the attacking drones, however, some civilian infrastructure was damaged.
“According to preliminary information, there were no damage to life. Measures are being taken to contain the fire, units of the State Emergency Service and other structures are working on the spot.” The Iranian-made Shahed-136 is a small self-detonating drone that could be programmed to fly automatically to a set of GPS coordinates with a explosives payload.
Russia’s drone industry has been plagued by global sanctions and the number have been shot down since the beginning of the war — forcing Russia to import drones from Iran. The Black Sea port of Odesa had been a favourite holiday destination for many Russians and Ukrainians before President Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, Odesa has been bombed several times by Russian military. It was also hit by a drone attack two weeks back that caused little damage. In January, the United Nations agency, UNESCO declared the historic centre of Odesa a World Heritage in Danger site. — AFP
