Russian drones have launched attacks on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, injuring three individuals and causing extensive fires, as reported by officials on Friday. This assault underscores Moscow’s resolve to continue aerial attacks despite agreeing to temporarily suspend strikes on energy facilities.
The strike occurred shortly before the President of the Czech Republic, Peter Pavel, was set to visit Odesa, where he planned to hold meetings with city leaders and officials from neighboring southern regions.
“This serves as yet another reminder to the world: the war continues, and Ukraine is still fighting,” stated Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa region. He mentioned that at least three locations were ablaze following the late Thursday attack, noting, “Civilian infrastructure and commercial facilities are on fire, and vehicles have been damaged.”
Over 70 personnel and 20 fire engines were deployed to combat the “massive fires,” according to emergency services.
In a separate incident, Russian glide bombs targeted the Zaporizhzhia region overnight, injuring at least six people, including a child. Regional head Ivan Fedorov shared images of firefighters battling flames at several damaged residential buildings.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 214 exploding drones and decoys in the most recent wave of assaults, intercepting 114 of them while another 81 were jammed.
Conversely, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that Russian air defenses shot down 43 Ukrainian drones, primarily over regions including Volgograd, Rostov, Kursk, and Belgorod, with no reports of casualties or significant damage.
Additionally, a large fire at an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region continued to burn since it was struck by a Ukrainian drone attack late Wednesday.
Ukraine and Russia had reportedly reached an initial agreement for a limited ceasefire on Wednesday, following a conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of both nations. However, clarity remains regarding which potential targets would be excluded from attacks. Following their lengthy call, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that “technical” discussions would take place this weekend in Saudi Arabia to determine which types of infrastructure would be protected under the ceasefire.
The three parties appear to have differing interpretations of the agreement. While the White House suggested that “energy and infrastructure” would be safeguarded, the Kremlin maintained the focus was solely on “energy infrastructure.” Zelenskyy advocated for additional protections for railways and ports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Friday that the understanding reached between Trump and Putin was confined to energy facilities, stating that the Russian military is adhering to Putin’s order to halt attacks on these structures for 30 days.
“The Russian military is currently refraining from strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in accordance with the agreement reached between Russia and the United States,” Peskov explained during a conference call with reporters.
Credit: ABC News
