Jul 1, 2022 - World

Russian missile strike kills at least 19 near Odesa, Ukraine says

Erin Doherty

This photograph taken on July 1, 2022, shows a general view of a destroyed building after being hit by a missile strike in the Ukrainian town of Serhiivka, near Odessa. — A missile struck this building in the Ukrainian town of Serhiivka, near Odesa. Photo: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images

Russian missile attacks early Friday killed at least 19 people and injured dozens more in a coastal town near the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, authorities said.

Driving the news: Ukraine's State Emergency Service posted a video Friday showing the remnants of buildings in the town of Serhiivka, about 31 miles southwest of Odesa, where at least one child was killed in the attack.

"A terrorist state is killing our people. For defeats on the battlefield, they take revenge on the civilians," Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Twitter.
At least 19 people were killed in a residential building and a recreation center in the attack, including one child, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.
It said another 38 people were injured, including at least six children.

The big picture: The attack comes one day after Russian forces withdrew from the strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea, which was expected to ease Russia's threat to Odesa.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought control over Odesa, where Russian forces have conducted numerous attacks throughout the war, the New York Times notes.

Go deeper... Russian forces withdraw from strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea

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Russian missile strike kills at least 19 near Odesa, Ukraine says

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