- Title: Russian drone raid on Odesa 'one of most massive', analyst says
- Date: 21st March 2025
- Summary: ODESA, UKRAINE (MARCH 21, 2025) (REUTERS) MUNICIPAL WORKERS CLEARING UP RUBBLE AT DRONE STRIKE SITE EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES AT STRIKE SITE DESTROYED WAREHOUSE SMOKE BILLOWING CARS DRIVING OVER FOAM (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) CAR REPAIR SHOP OWNER, INNA (NO SURNAME GIVEN), SAYING: "We couldn't do anything, we stood there and watched how everything was up in flames. I don't
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: drone drone attack south Ukraine war in Ukraine
- Location: ODESA, UKRAINE
- City: ODESA, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA005060921032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russia pounded Ukraine's Black Sea city of Odesa with one of its biggest drone attacks late on Thursday (March 20), injuring three teenagers and sparking fires as the Czech president visited, Ukrainian officials said.
The attack comes as the United States is pushing for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, and hoping to agree a partial ceasefire that would halt strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.
Czech President Petr Pavel, a vocal backer of Kyiv who has led an effort to source more than one million artillery shells for Ukraine's war effort, was in the port city for talks with regional officials at the time of the strikes.
The long-range drones buzzed into the city in several waves, damaging infrastructure, residential houses and commercial buildings, and causing multiple fires, the Interior Ministry said.
Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military analyst, told Reuters that Russia used new tactics for the attack, having its drones descend from a higher altitude than usual and at high speeds to make it harder for Ukraine's air defences.
He said it was one of the "most massive" attacks on Odesa since Russia invaded in February 2022.
(Production: Iryna Nazarchuk, Felix Hoske) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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