One person died in the Odessa region in the early hours of Thursday and two others were injured in this coastal Black Sea province of southern Ukraine following a Russian multi-missile strike.
“The enemy has launched an attack in the Odessa region,” the head of the area’s military administration confirmed in a statement released Thursday.
“The attack was carried out with different types of missiles launched from different directions,” added Yuri Kruk.
The military chief also published photos of a partially destroyed warehouse, adding that one of the missiles hit “industrial infrastructure”.
Kruk claimed that “most missiles were destroyed by air defenses” in Ukraine.
A senior US defense official said Wednesday that a state-of-the-art Patriot air defense system supplied to Ukraine by the US was damaged but operational.
“The Patriot system is still operational,” the official stated, specifying that the assessment of damage caused by an unidentified projectile that landed nearby is ongoing.
On Tuesday, the Russian military claimed to have destroyed a Patriot defense system after a “high-precision attack” carried out “by a hypersonic missile ‘Kinzhal'”.
Ukraine denied these statements from Moscow, insisting that its advanced anti-aircraft missile system, combined with one of the most effective radars in the world, is working and “on active duty”.
Explosions heard in Kiev
Multiple explosions rang out this morning in the capital Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine where the population was advised to move to shelters, military authorities claimed.
“Debris falls have been recorded in the Darnytskyi district of the capital. Data on casualties and damage are being verified,” the head of the Kiev Military Administration, Sergii Popko, wrote on the Telegram platform.
As a result of falling debris, a fire broke out in a cooperative garage in the Darnytsia district #Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/zeJDOZcsRY
– NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 18, 2023
A fire broke out today at a business in Darnytskyi district after falling debris and an explosion was recorded in Desnyanskyi district, the capital’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
“The attack on the capital continues. Do not leave your shelters during the air raid,” the mayor asked, also on Telegram.
It was the ninth time this month that Russian airstrikes hit the capital, a clear escalation after weeks of silence and anticipation of a counter-offensive.
The army also reported “cruise missile” attacks in the Vinnytsia region, in the center of the country, and the local press spoke of explosions in Khmelnytskyi, some 100 kilometers to the west.
An air raid siren is in effect throughout Ukraine.
Source: DN
