Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP/Getty Images
Emergency services respond to a missile attack on Odessa, Ukraine, March 15, 2024.
CNN
—
A Russian missile attack hit civilian infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens, Ukrainian officials said Friday.
After the first missiles hit the Black Sea port city on Friday morning, killing and wounding civilians, Ukrainian paramedics rushed to the scene and later received two of the attacks known as “double taps” that Russia has used across the country. Caught up in the second attack. The war in Ukraine lasted more than two years.
“The Russian missile attack killed the paramedics and rescue workers who arrived on the scene to assist after the first explosion. Some medical workers and rescue workers were also seriously injured,” said Odesa Regional Military Government Director. Ole Kiper wrote on Telegram.
The attack came as Russians across the country were heading to the polls in carefully planned elections that are expected to give President Vladimir Putin a fifth term in power.
Ukraine's emergency services said Russia fired its first missile at around 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. Eastern time), which struck a civilian building and caused a fire. Rescue teams arrived to try to extinguish the fire and search for survivors, but were immediately caught up in a second attack.
Kuiper said 14 people were killed and at least 46 others were injured, including seven emergency workers.
Victor Sajenko/AP
An injured man is rescued from the scene of a strike that killed at least 14 people.
Odessa, a key port for Ukraine's grain exports and a major naval base, has been severely damaged by months of Russian attacks.
Last week, a Russian missile exploded just a few hundred meters from a convoy carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leader of a NATO member state. Both men said they were close enough to see and hear the blows.
President Zelenskiy frequently makes dangerous front-line visits and has welcomed dozens of world leaders to Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion. However, this latest attack was one of the president's most urgent requests.
After the attack, President Zelenskiy again appealed to allies to strengthen their air defenses. Although Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is relatively well protected by the U.S.-made Patriot system, not all Ukrainian cities enjoy the same level of protection.
Mitsotakis called the strike “a stark reminder that there is a real war going on here.” War is happening every day, and it not only affects the soldiers on the front lines, but also our innocent compatriots. ”
