Odesa: A late-night Russian drone strike struck a high-rise residential building in Odesa on Friday, killing two people and injuring fourteen others, including three children. The attack, which took place in Ukraine’s strategic southern port city, marks yet another grim chapter in Moscow’s escalating campaign of aerial assaults against civilian infrastructure.
According to local authorities, the drone crashed into a 21-story apartment block, setting off a massive fire that engulfed multiple floors. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, rescuing residents from thick smoke and burning debris. The State Emergency Service released harrowing footage of the evacuation efforts, showing firefighters carrying children to safety and stairwells filled with heavy smoke.
Among the wounded were three children, one of whom remains in critical condition. Ukrainian officials described the incident as a deliberate targeting of civilian zones, further intensifying global outrage over Russia's continued use of unmanned aerial vehicles to strike populated areas far from the front lines.
"This was not a military target. It was a peaceful residential building, and now families are grieving and traumatized," said Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper in a statement.
The drone strike is part of a broader pattern of increased Russian attacks on urban centers using loitering munitions, commonly known as “kamikaze drones.” These attacks, while less costly than missile strikes, have proven highly destructive and difficult to predict, especially in heavily populated areas.
Odesa, a key Black Sea port and cultural hub, has long been a symbolic and strategic target for Russia. In recent months, attacks on the city have intensified as diplomatic negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow remain frozen. Military analysts suggest the renewed aerial campaign may be an effort to pressure Ukraine both psychologically and militarily, especially ahead of renewed Western discussions on defense aid.
The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have intercepted several drones overnight, but one slipped through the defenses and hit the building. The incident has renewed calls from Ukrainian officials for additional air defense systems from Western allies, specifically designed to counter the growing threat of drones.
Medical teams continue to treat the injured while authorities work to assess structural damage and ensure the safety of other residents in the building. Meanwhile, cleanup crews and trauma counselors have been deployed to support the affected families.
Friday night’s strike on Odesa underscores the civilian cost of the ongoing war and the urgent need for increased protective measures for urban populations. As Ukraine braces for further escalations, the world watches with growing concern over the deepening humanitarian impact of this conflict.