Ukraine updates: Russia strikes Odesa for 2nd time this week

Russia has pummeled the port city vital for Ukraine’s economic exports, with a strike in Odesa in March damaging a fire engine as seen here

At least three people were killed and three more injured in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Odesa in the early hours of Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

“The enemy attacked Odesa with ballistic missiles. As a consequence of the attack, three people were killed and three more wounded,” wrote Gennadiy Trukhanov, the mayor of the southwestern port city, on Telegram.

Regional Governor Oleh Kiper added that the attack had also damaged civilian infrastructure.

The attack comes just two days after Russian missiles struck an educational institution in the city, killing five people.

Ukraine increases drone spending

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government allocated an additional 15.5 billion hryvnia ($392 million or 367 million) to the production of drones.

“With the funds allocated today, 300,000 drones will be delivered to our security and defence forces,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday evening at a cabinet meeting in Kyiv.

Relatively cheap and easy to produce, drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles have become a key weapon in Ukraine’s battle against the Russian invasion.

Also on Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that three Ukrainian combat drones had been intercepted over the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk.

According to Shmyhal, Ukraine had previously earmarked 43.3 billion hryvnia for the purchase of drones this year.

mf/rm (Reuters, dpa)