17 June 2024,   16:37
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Russia launches “hellish” second-night attack on Odesa

Russia has launched a second night of air attacks on Ukraine’s port city of Odesa as well as raids on the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said, while there were also reports of attacks in the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, writes Al Jazeera.

Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on social media early on Wednesday that air defence systems were engaged in repelling what was described as a “massive” Russian air attack and urged residents to stay in shelters.

The attack was “very powerful, truly massive,” Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel: “It was a hellish night, details on damage and casualties would be released later”.

A video posted on social media purporting to show the aftermath of a Russian air attack on Odesa showed a multi-storey apartment building with several windows blown out and shards of glass on the street.

Air defence systems were also engaged in repelling a Russian air attack on Kyiv, the capital’s military administration said on the Telegram messaging app. A witness reported hearing blasts and smoke rising near Kyiv, according to the Reuters news agency.

Ukrainian online news reported Kyiv city military administration head Serhii Popko saying that all Russian drones that had attacked the capital were shot down.

“A difficult night of air attacks for all of Ukraine… Odesa especially. But the enemy did not forget about Kyiv either”, Popko was quoted as saying on Telegram.

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