Russia launched two consecutive missile strikes on Odesa, targeting civilians and rescuers

On March 15, around 11:00 a.m., Russian troops carried out a missile attack on the city. Rescuers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine immediately arrived on the spot and began extinguishing the fire, clearing out the debris, and searching for the victims. During rescue and search operations, the enemy launched another attack.

In total, as of 2:00 p.m. Kyiv time, 14 people were killed, including civilians, a medic, and a rescuer. Another 46 people, including seven rescuers of the State Emergency Service, were injured, reported Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.

Later, it became known that the number of victims killed by the Russian missile attack increased to 16 people. Another 73 people received injuries of varying degrees of severity, according to Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Update: as of 7:00 p.m. Kyiv time, the death toll from the missile attack on Odesa has increased to 20, informed the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Update: on March 16, a firefighter driver, injured by the attack, died in hospital.

Due to the Russian missile strikes, civilian infrastructure was damaged, including residential buildings, commercial facilities, and cars. In particular, ten private houses, a service station, a gas pipeline as well as two fire and rescue vehicles suffered due to the Russian shelling.

According to preliminary information, Russian troops attacked Odesa with Iskander-M ballistic missiles from the temporarily occupied Crimea, informed Nataliia Humeniuk, Head of the United Coordinating Press Center of Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine, in a comment to Radio Svoboda media.

“All special services eliminate the consequences of an enemy attack. Law enforcement officers record another crime committed by Russians. Mourning will be announced tomorrow in Odesa and the region. I express my sincere condolences to the victims’ families…” Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, commented.

Under the procedural guidance of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, a pre-trial investigation was started on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).