Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Russian drones struck apartment buildings and power grids in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa overnight, injuring six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said on Wednesday.
Four apartment buildings were damaged in the bombing, according to regional military administration chief Ole Kiper. Power company DTEK said two of its energy facilities suffered serious damage. The company said that in December alone, 10 distribution substations were damaged in the Odessa region.
Russia has stepped up long-range attacks on Ukrainian urban areas this year. In recent months, as Russia’s incursions into its neighbor neared its four-year milestone in February, it has also stepped up its crackdown on energy infrastructure in an attempt to deny Ukrainians access to heat and running water during the harsh winter months.
From January to November this year, more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 11,000 injured United Nations said earlier this month. This is 26% higher than the same period in 2024 and 70% higher than the same period in 2023, the report said.
Russia’s continued drone and missile attacks come against the backdrop of renewed diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
President of the United States Donald Trump Received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his official residence Florida On Sunday, the resort announced that a solution was “closer than ever.” The Ukrainian leader will hold talks with European heads of government next week to support his efforts to reach acceptable terms.
Meanwhile, ongoing attacks have heightened tensions.
The nighttime attack in Odessa “is further evidence of the enemy’s deliberate terror tactics targeting civilian infrastructure,” said regional chief Kiper.
Moscow claimed that Ukraine attempted to use 91 long-range drones to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residence in northwest Russia on Saturday night and early Sunday. Ukrainian officials denied the claim and said it was a ruse to undermine progress in peace talks.
Russian Air Force Major General Alexander Romanenkov claimed on Wednesday that the drones took off from the Sumy and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine.
During the press conference, he showed a map showing the flight path of the drone before it was shot down by Russian air defense systems in the Bryansk, Tver, Smolensk and Novgorod regions.
The reports could not be independently verified.
Ukraine’s air force said on Wednesday that Russia launched 127 drones into the country at night, of which 101 were intercepted by air defense systems.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said 86 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over Russian regions, the Black Sea and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.
A Ukrainian attack sparked a fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, but it was quickly extinguished, local authorities said.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/Russia-ukraine