Early Wednesday, Ukraine reported that Russia had launched a drone attack on the southern port city of Odesa.
However, Ukrainian air defenses successfully destroyed most of the drones of Russia , and there were no immediate reports of casualties.
According to Yuriy Kruk, the head of the Odesa district military administration, the enemy carried out the attack using UAVs of the Shahed-136 type on the Odesa region. Kruk also confirmed that they had hit some civilian infrastructure, but there were no casualties.
“According to preliminary information, there were no casualties. Units of the State Emergency Service and other structures are working on the spot to contain the fire.
Iran made the Shahed-136, which is a small self-detonating drone that can be programmed to fly automatically to a set of GPS coordinates while carrying a payload of explosives.
International sanctions have hit Russia’s drone industry, and since the start of the war, Russian forces have shot down a number of drones. As a result, Moscow has imported drones from Iran.
The Black Sea port of Odesa was a favourite holiday destination for many Ukrainians and Russians before President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February last year.
Russian forces have bombed Odesa several times since the invasion started. Additionally, two weeks ago, a drone attack caused some damage to the city.
In January, the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO designated the historic centre of Odesa a World Heritage in Danger site.