On Wednesday, Russia launched a drone attack on Odesa, a southern port city in Ukraine. According to the head of the Odesa district military administration, Yuriy Kruk, the attack was carried out by Shahed-136 UAVs, and while most of the attacking drones were destroyed by Ukraine’s air defenses, some civilian infrastructure was damaged.
Kruk added that there were no immediate reports of casualties, and emergency services were working to contain the fire. The Shahed-136 is a small drone that is manufactured in Iran and can be pre-programmed to fly to a specific location using GPS coordinates with an explosive payload. Due to international sanctions, Russia has been importing drones from Iran, as their own drone industry has been impacted.
ALSO READ: Russian opposition figure, Vladimir Kara-Murza, sentenced to 25 years in jail
Odesa was previously a popular holiday destination for Ukrainians and Russians before the conflict began. However, since the start of the conflict, the city has been bombed by Russian forces multiple times, including a drone attack that caused damage two weeks ago. In January, the historic center of Odesa was designated as a World Heritage site in danger by UNESCO.
