Russian missiles kill 20 in Odesa, Zelensky vows retaliation

ODESA, Ukraine: A Russian ballistic missile attack hit a residential area in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa on Friday, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than 70, in Moscow’s deadliest attack in weeks, Ukrainian officials said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia would receive a “fair response” from Ukrainian forces for what he said was a “vile” strike on a city that has been attacked by Russian drones or missiles almost every day this month.

Two Iskander-M missiles fired from the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula damaged civilian infrastructure and gas and electricity supply lines in the southern city, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on national television.

Some residents were facing gas and electricity supply cuts as a result of strikes, he added.

“The explosion was very strong, especially the second one... This is a very powerful missile that flies from the occupied Crimea in a few minutes,” Kiper said.

A medic and rescuer were killed by a second missile after rushing to the scene to treat people hurt in the initial strike. Ten people had suffered serious injuries, Kiper added.

“Our Defence Forces will certainly do everything to ensure that the Russian killers feel our fair response,” Zelensky said on Telegram.

Residents were rushing to donate blood, creating queues at medical centres. Saturday was declared a local day of mourning.

A three-storey recreational facility was destroyed in the attack as well as at least 10 private houses, the southern military command said.

Bodies were laid out in foil protective blankets, while dozens of rescuers battled to put out fires and continued clearing the rubble.

Odesa, one of Ukraine’s biggest ports, has long been a target of Russian attacks, especially after Moscow quit a UN-brokered deal that had allowed safe passage for Ukrainian grain shipments via the Black Sea.