The Russian Defense Ministry assured this Sunday that the attack carried out in Odessa in the early hours of today targeted naval drones and foreign mercenaries.
“All planned targets were destroyed,” informed Defense spokesman Ígor Konashénkov, explaining that among the targets were installations where Ukrainian forces were preparing “terrorist attacks against the Russian Federation using unmanned speedboats.”
“In these achieved goals there were foreign mercenaries,” he added.
The version is confirmed by the Russian military, which stated that “the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out an attack (…) on facilities where terrorist actions against Russia were being prepared using naval ‘drones'”.
Russian forces launched long-range land and sea missiles, information confirmed by Kiev, which estimates 19 missiles have been launched against the city, the scene of one of the largest bombings this week since the start of the war.
At least two people were killed and 22 injured, including four minors, in the aftermath of the attack, according to the latest assessment by the Ukrainian authorities.
In addition to civilian infrastructure, apartment buildings and cars, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa was also hit, where a fire broke out.
Located in the center of the city, the cathedral is the main Orthodox temple in Odessa and still depends on the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Moscow attacked the city with Kalibr, Iskander-K, X-22 and Onyx cruise missiles, as well as Iskander-M ballistic missiles, from land positions on the annexed Crimean peninsula, submarines in the Black Sea and Tu-22 supersonic bombers. Ukrainian air defense managed to shoot down nine Russian missiles.
Odessa has been the target of heavy attacks since Russia abandoned its Black Sea initiative on Monday, which ensured safe navigation, and after Kiev attacked the Crimean bridge for a second time.
Source: DN
