Russia on Friday struck the Black Sea city of Odesa in Ukraine with one of its biggest drone attacks, injuring three teenagers, damaging residential and commercial buildings, and sparking fires across the city.
The attack comes as the United States is pushing for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, and hoping to agree on a partial ceasefire that would halt strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.
Czech President Petr Pavel, a vocal supporter of Kyiv who has reportedly led an effort to source more than one million artillery shells for Ukraine’s war effort, was in the city for talks with regional officials just before the attack.
It was gathered that Pavel, who later met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, said he had left Odesa by train around 20 minutes before the explosions.
“One has to be truly cynical when declaring the will to have peace negotiations or negotiations on a ceasefire, and at the same time to launch a massive attack on civilian infrastructure. It is extremely difficult to deal with such a party,” he said.
The long-range drones were said to have buzzed into the city in several waves, damaging infrastructure, residential houses, and commercial buildings, and causing multiple fires.
