Russian Raids Target Odessa Port in Ukraine with Drones

In a new and fiery development in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war for over three years, Russian forces launched a wide-scale attack using drones on the Ukrainian port of Odessa overlooking the Black Sea on Saturday morning, leading to a massive fire breaking out in a multi-story residential building and the death of one resident, while the number of injuries remains unclear.

Gennady Trukhanov, the mayor of Odessa, confirmed via the Telegram app that at least 20 drones targeted the city, which has been subjected to repeated attacks, stating that emergency teams are working around the clock to try to control the situation.

Images showed flames rising from the upper floors of the building amid an urgent intervention by rescue teams.

This attack comes amidst a fierce Russian campaign, as the Russian air forces carried out intensive airstrikes on several areas in Ukraine on Friday, using a mix of combat drones and ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed the success of their air defenses in intercepting a number of these drones that targeted the capital, Kyiv, despite dozens of drones still flying in the skies, threatening further attacks.

In another escalation, Russia launched several ballistic missiles near vital facilities near the city of Dnipro in the southeast of the country, in a clear attempt to target vital infrastructure in the energy and communications sectors, in a step that represents a continuation of the deliberate attack policy carried out by Moscow since the beginning of the war in February 2022.

Amid unconfirmed reports of Russia deploying strategic bombers equipped with long-range cruise missiles, this enhances the possibility of launching new waves of attacks in the coming days, according to military analysts.

These developments come at a time when military confrontations and political pressures continue on the international stage, amidst global anticipation of the outcomes of this war that continues to impose immense humanitarian and economic suffering on Ukraine and its people.