Ukraine: Russia Targets Odessa As UN Seeks Ceasefire

Thick plumes of black smoke rose from several areas on the historic Black Sea port, after air strikes shook the city but Ukraine’s army said no one was killed
The ministry claimed the targets were supplying fuel to Ukrainian troops

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the explosions rocked the strategic Ukrainian port city of Odessa on Sunday, as a top UN official headed to Moscow to try to secure a “humanitarian ceasefire” and after evidence emerged of possible civilian killings around Kyiv.

Thick plumes of black smoke rose from several areas on the historic Black Sea port, after air strikes shook the city at about 6:00 am (0300 GMT) but the Ukrainian army said no one was killed.

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Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the attack, saying “high-precision sea and air-based missiles destroyed an oil refinery and three storage facilities for fuel and lubricants”.

The ministry claimed the targets were supplying fuel to Ukrainian troops.

Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, said: “Fires were reported in some areas. Some of the missiles were shot down by air defence.”

The strikes came with Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias expected in the city to deliver humanitarian aid to the municipal authorities.

UN chief Antonio Guterres’ humanitarian envoy Martin Griffiths was meanwhile seeking a halt in the fighting, which Ukraine estimates has left 20,000 people dead, and forced more than 10 million to flee for their lives.

He will fly on to Kyiv from Moscow. Both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to meet him, Guterres said on Saturday.

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