Russian Drone Attack in Odesa Leaves 3 Dead, 8 Injured

Three individuals lost their lives and eight more received injuries as a result of a Russian drone crashing with an apartment complex in Odesa, Ukraine's southern port city, on Saturday.

Officials in Odesa reported that a man was rescued from the debris of an apartment building. According to a recent post on the social media platform Telegram, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that 18 apartments were destroyed.

Russian Drone Attacks Odesa Apartment Block

(Photo : OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Rescuers work at the site of a heavily damaged multi-story apartment building, following a Russian drone attack, in Odesa, on March 2, 2024.

"Russia continues to fight civilians. One of the enemy drones hit a residential building in Odesa," Zelensky said.

Photos were shared by Ukraine's State Emergencies Service, showing rescuers placing a deceased toddler in a body bag.
Zelensky stated that the drone was a Shahed provided by Iran. Throughout the conflict, Russia has deployed numerous long-range winged drones to strike targets deep within Ukraine.

A video shared by Zelensky depicted an apartment building with a large section torn out of it, spanning several storeys, while numerous rescuers worked diligently to clear through the debris below.

The regional governor of Odesa, Oleh Kiper, provided an update at 8:30 AM local time (0630 GMT) stating that efforts were underway to remove the debris. He also mentioned that a man was rescued alive, possibly being in the basement during the attack.

Zelensky shared on Friday that he and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte have finalized a security agreement to offer Kyiv $2.2 billion in military aid for this year. The Ukrainian president shared the plan's specifics on his social media platforms following the meeting in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, which has been a common target for Russian assaults.

Zelensky mentioned in the post that the document includes $2.17 billion of military aid from the Netherlands for this year, along with additional defense support for the next decade. He shared a copy of the agreement on his official presidential website as well.

Last month, Ukraine issued a warning stating that it had only received a fraction of the promised artillery shells from the European Union and was facing challenges in maintaining its defenses.

In February, the forces were withdrawn from the eastern town of Avdiivka due to challenges in securing ammunition, resulting in Moscow's first significant territorial gain in more than a year.

On his social media account, previously known as Twitter, Zelensky shared a video of the two exploring the city, showcasing some of the 20,000 buildings that Zelensky mentioned were destroyed in Russian attacks.

Ukraine Condemns Russian Attacks

Zelensky mentioned their visit to a residential building that was destroyed by Russian shelling in January. According to the website, five individuals lost their lives and 14 others sustained injuries in the incident.

Rutte and Zelensky visited special classrooms constructed within a subway station, enabling approximately 858 school children in 40 classes to pursue their education in a secure environment.

Meanwhile, in a social media post Thursday, the UN coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, condemned the deadly attacks in the eastern Kharkiv region. She mentioned that there were strikes in the Donetsk and Kherson regions on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in significant damage to civilian infrastructure and casualties.

Brown mentioned that over 100 homes, schools, and other facilities were affected according to local authorities. She shared that humanitarian workers are currently on-site assisting affected communities with construction materials and psychological support, as per VOA News.