Russian strikes destroy historic church in Ukraine’s Odesa

ODESA, Ukraine - Russian strikes on Odesa overnight damaged several residential buildings, including a historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in downtown Odessa, killing at least one person and injuring scores including children. 

The attack on Odesa marks the fourth of its kind in the past four days, and was carried out by a cruise missile, according to preliminary information obtained by Rudaw’s correspondent Dilniya Rahman. 

In addition to the church, which is Odesa’s largest and main church building and a historic site designated by UNESCO, ten buildings around the area were damaged.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the Russian air raids as an attack on the lives of civilians of Ukraine. “Everyone is affected by this Russian terror. Everyone in the world should be interested in bringing Russia to justice for its terror," he wrote.

Russia has been hitting Odesa and the region's grain storages over the past few days after Moscow vowed revenge for an attack on a bridge between Russia and Crimea blamed on Kyiv.