Russian drones attack Odesa: 130 people evacuated from damaged building

On Wednesday night of January 17, Russian drones struck the southern port city of Odesa, damaging civilian residential infrastructure. 

Three people were injured, and 130 residents had to be evacuated, Rubryka reports, citing the Defense Forces of Ukraine's South, the State Emergency Service, the Air Force, and Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.

According to reports from the Air Force, on the night of January 17, groups of drones entered Ukrainian airspace from the occupied territory of Crimea. The Shahed drones mainly moved northwest. Striking drones were detected in the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad regions.

Later, kamikaze drones headed toward the Odesa region through the Black Sea. The Defense Forces of the South specified that Russia's primary efforts were focused on strikes against Odesa. The kamikaze drones approached at critically low altitudes from the Black Sea.

"In the Odesa region, 11 drones were downed on approach to the coast; the majority fell into the sea. However, debris from several downed drones and the explosive wave damaged multi-story buildings, shops, and private cars of locals in the Primorskyi district of Odesa," said the military.

In turn, Kiper reported that the number of casualties from the Russian attack had increased to three people: another woman born in 1955 and a girl born in 1995 were injured. Earlier, a 62-year-old man was reported as injured. Medical assistance is being provided.

One hundred thirty civilians were evacuated from the damaged building. Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov reported that rescuers had extinguished a fire in a residential building in the Primorskyi district, and cars were burned. The explosive wave damaged windows in buildings.

The city center has a deep explosion crater, and communications are damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

According to the mayor of Odesa, an operational headquarters will work on-site in the morning, where residents can receive consultations on municipal assistance for restoring windows and doors.

The restoration of damaged communications will begin after emergency services complete their work.

In related news, Russia's night attack on January 1, 2024, on Odesa killed a 15-year-old teenager. The Russian forces deliberately targeted residential quarters, also cueing a fire in the port.