Southern Ukraine's Odessa hit by Russian drone attacks
Flames rise from the site of a Russian drone strike in Odessa, Ukraine, April 19, 2023. (AA Photo)


Ukraine's southern port city of Odessa faced a barrage of Russian drone strikes early Wednesday, authorities confirmed but there were no reports of casualties.

"At night, the enemy carried out an attack by UAVs of the Shahed-136 type on the Odessa region," Yuriy Kruk, head of the Odessa district military administration, said in a statement on Telegram.

Kruk said Ukraine's air defenses had destroyed most of the attacking drones but some civilian infrastructure had been hit.

"According to preliminary information, there were no casualties. Measures are being taken to contain the fire, units of the State Emergency Service and other structures are working on the spot."

In an update on Telegram, General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said 10 out of 12 "kamikaze" drones had been destroyed by the Odessa air defenses.

Ukraine's general staff said over the past day Russia had launched four missiles and 60 airstrikes, along with 58 rocket attacks, causing injuries to civilians.

The Shahed-136 is a small Iranian-made, self-detonating drone that can be programmed to fly automatically to a set of GPS coordinates with a payload of explosives.

Russia's drone industry has been hit by international sanctions and a number have been shot down since the start of the war – prompting Moscow to import drones from Iran.

The Black Sea port of Odessa was a favorite holiday destination for many Ukrainians and Russians before President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February last year.

Since the start of the invasion, Odessa has been bombed several times by Russian forces. It was also hit by a drone attack two weeks ago that caused some damage.

In January, the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO designated the historic center of Odessa a World Heritage in Danger site.