At least four people were killed and 27 were injured in Russian forces strikes in southern Ukraine's Odesa city and Mykolaiv region, officials said on Thursday.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the night Russian attack, one person was killed in Odesa. The deceased was a civil building security guard, born in 2002. Sincere condolences to family and friends,” Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said in a statement on Telegram, adding that a fire had also broken out in the area.
Kiper later stated in a separate statement that another person's body was recovered from the rubble in an Odesa residential area and that eight people were injured, including three members of Ukraine's State Emergency Service.
He said Ukrainian air defense forces had destroyed 12 drones and two missiles over Odesa, but that not all missiles had been shot down, particularly X-22 and Onyx-type missiles, which he described as "extremely difficult to destroy."
He added that the strikes destroyed the administration building in the city center of Odesa and damaged several other buildings, including residential ones while noting in another message that the Chinese Consulate General building in the city was also damaged.
"After attacking the grain agreement ports and causing damage to the port infrastructure, the 'terrorists' also hit civilian infrastructure objects that are not connected to the ports in any way," the governor said.
Separately, Serhiy Shaikhet, the head of the Ukrainian National Police in the Mykolaiv region, said two people were killed in Russian forces strikes in the region on Thursday afternoon.
"The body of an elderly woman, the wife of the deceased man, was discovered under the rubble of the damaged house. Search operations are ongoing," Shaikhet said, referring to a missile that struck a three-story building at 4:35 p.m. (1335 GMT).
Earlier, Mykolaiv Governor Vitaliy Kim stated on Telegram that 19 people were injured in a missile strike on a three-story building.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Russia continued to “destroy the life of our country,” adding that “no missiles that are more powerful than our will to save lives, support each other and win.”
“I thank everyone who defends our cities, our people, our sky! I am grateful to all our warriors, rescuers, doctors, local authorities, volunteers... to everyone involved in eliminating the consequences of Russian terror!
“I am grateful to the port workers who do their best to preserve our infrastructure! To the builders and repair teams who help people restore normal living conditions! Together we will make it through this terrible time. And we will withstand the attacks of Russian evil,” he said.
