KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two individuals died in a missile attack on Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa, as Moscow and Kyiv engaged in a series of drone and missile strikes.
The Ukrainian air force reported that it intercepted 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles launched by Russia overnight. The attack on Odesa occurred late Saturday, with regional governor Oleh Kiper confirming that the victims were a married couple living in the city’s suburbs. Another person was reported injured in the strike.
In a separate incident, at least 35 people were wounded when a Russian aerial bomb hit a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv on Sunday afternoon. The bomb struck the 10th floor of the building, causing a fire that spread across four stories, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated it had downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight in western and southwestern regions, with no reported damage from the debris. Additionally, another Ukrainian drone was shot down over the western Ryazan region on Sunday morning.
Ukrainian officials generally refrain from confirming or denying attacks within Russia’s borders, despite frequent overnight drone raids by both sides. The latest attacks come amid Ukraine’s renewed calls for Western support in using long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia. Kyiv argues that such capabilities are essential for weakening Russia’s strike potential and pushing it further from the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated the need for increased Western support via social media, highlighting that Russia had launched around 30 missiles, over 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine within the past week.
“Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror—air defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
