(Photograph taken on July 23, 2023, shows the destructed Transfiguration Cathedral as a result of a missile strike in Odesa, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. – Ukraine on Sunday said the death toll from overnight strikes by Russia on the port of Odesa rose to two, with 22 people wounded, including four children. Photo by Oleksandr GIMANOV / AFP)
Russian forces launched a missile attack on Friday evening against the historic city centre of Odesa in southern Ukraine. Several buildings were damaged in the downtown area, which is listed on UNESCO’s world heritage list, and two people were injured, according to local leaders.
Footage posted online showed that in the Black Sea port city the Bristol hotel, built at the end of the 19th century, was damaged, while debris could be seen near the ornate opera house, also built in the same period.
Hennadiy Trukhanov, the mayor of the city, stated via the Telegram messaging app that two people were injured in the attack and were taken to hospital. Oleh Kiper, governor of Odesa region, reported that two large detonations could be heard in the city on Friday evening.
