At least 16 killed in Russian missile strike in Odessa

Kyiv, Jul 1 (EFE).- At least 16 people were killed by a Russian missile strike in southwest Ukraine’s Odessa region, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service announced Friday.

“On July 1, at about 01:00 in the village of Serhiivka in the Belgorod-Dniester district, a nine-storey residential building was partially destroyed as a result of a missile strike, followed by a fire in a shop attached to it on an area of about 20 square meters,” the emergency service said in a Facebook post.

It said 16 people were killed and 36 people, including three children, were injured as rescue work continued.

Russian strategic aircraft flying over the Black Sea launched the missile strike on the region, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported, citing the regional military administration.

The administration said that one missile struck a nine-story residential building, completely destroying a section of it, while another hit a recreation center in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district.

Odessa region, whose capital of the same name is the only port in Ukraine that the Russians do not yet control, borders Moldova and Romania.

So far, the Russians have limited their attacks in this area and have focused on destroying the infrastructure that links the region to Europe.

Friday’s attack came a day after the NATO Summit in Madrid, in which the allies strengthened their support to Ukraine and their rejection of Russia’s invasion. EFE

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