In recent days, the Odesa region has turned into a zone of intense combat operations. According to Oleksandr Kiper, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Russian forces launched approximately 300 aerial targets at the region over the past week. This means that, on average, between 50 and 60 strike drones and missiles hit the territory of Odesa daily.
State of constant tension
Regional authorities are recording an unprecedented density of attacks. The enemy is using combined strike methods, employing both long-range missiles and various types of strike UAVs. Due to such intense shelling, air raid alerts are issued in the region at least 10 times a day. For residents, this means that life is spent in constant anticipation of the siren and the need to seek shelter.
Tragic consequences
The price of such escalation is measured in human lives. Only in recent weeks, 18 people have died in the Odesa region as a result of Russian attacks. Another 69 residents have been injured with varying degrees of severity. Among the victims are children — six minors ended up in hospitals following the strikes.
The events of the night of July 16 were particularly tragic. Two people died as a result of a missile attack on Odesa. Among the victims was a woman who was heading to a shelter with her children through a park. This incident clearly showed that not only infrastructure facilities are under attack, but also ordinary people trying to save themselves.
New targets of aggression
The attacks continue with increasing force. On July 18, Russian forces launched a new massive strike on the region. This time, a foreign merchant vessel came under fire, indicating an expansion of the geography and targets of attacks in southern Ukraine. The situation in the Odesa region remains critically tense, and the threat of new shelling persists.
