Russian forces launch missile attack on Ukraine’s Odesa

ODESA: Russian forces launched an evening missile attack on the historic centre of Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaging buildings and injuring two people, local officials said.

Pictures posted online showed damage to the Hotel Bristol, a luxury landmark built at the end of the 19th century, as well as fragments strewn on the street near the nearby opulent opera house from the same era.

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Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said two people were injured in the attack and taken to hospital.

Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two large explosions had resounded in the city in the early evening.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attack underscored again the importance of improving air defences.

“Strikes directly on the city, on ordinary civilian buildings,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. “Again and again, air defence is the top priority. We are working with all our partners to provide more protection for our country.”

Zelenskiy said a meeting of Ukraine’s command had focused on improving weapons systems and speeding up deliveries.

“We need faster deliveries and greater numbers of systems and weapons which will enable us to save the lives of more of our soldiers, our people,” he said.

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“More orders for drones. More investments for the development of robotic systems. And more orders for basic weapons.”