At least 19 people have died with many more injured across Ukraine in drone and missile strikes this Monday morning.
In Odesa, at least eight people died and 18 were injured as Russia continues its large-scale attack on Ukraine.
“Russian terrorists carried out a missile attack on Odesa. There are victims and injured,” said Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, after explaining that the Kremlin had targeted residential infrastructure.
The attack is part of drone and missile attacks Russia embarked on this weekend, just days after US President Joe Biden announced Ukraine could now use US-manufactured long-range missiles in its fight against the invasion.
Another target this Monday morning was the northern city of Sumy, where Russian strikes hit a nine-storey residential building. At least 11 people have been reported dead and dozens more injured.
Among the victims were two children, said Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. More than 400 people were evacuated from the building.
The rescuers were checking every apartment looking for people who might be still in the damaged building.
“Every life destroyed by Russia is a big tragedy,” said Klymenko.
The drone and missile attack, which targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the winter.
The US weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in the Kursk region, where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over the summer.
It is the second time the US has permitted the use of Western weapons inside Russian territory after permitting the use of HIMARS systems, a shorter-range weapon, to stem Russia’s advance in the Kharkiv region in May.
The first reaction from Ukraine to the long-awaited decision from the US was notably restrained.
“Today, much is being said in the media about us receiving permission for the relevant actions. But strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly video address.
Video editor • Rory Elliott Armstrong
