Russian drones hit a military recruitment center in the southern city of Odesa early Thursday, July 11, in what appears to be part of a growing campaign to disrupt Ukraine’s efforts to draft new soldiers.
The attack, carried out with Shahed drones, struck the building of the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TRSSC), Ukrainian media RBC-Ukraine reported, citing its sources.
Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed or denied reports that the recruitment center was targeted in the attack. Local emergency services are still assessing the extent of the damage and checking whether anyone was injured.
According to local media outlet Dumska, a Russian Shahed drone strike also damaged residential buildings, a car service station, and multiple vehicles in the Moldavanka district.
A nearby stable was also hit, killing one horse and injuring several others. City officials later confirmed that eight residents were wounded in the attack.
Just before the strike, Ukraine’s Air Force warned of drone activity over the Black Sea, with a group of drones heading toward Odesa.
This isn’t the first time Russia has targeted draft centers. On July 7, drones struck recruitment centers in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least four Ukrainian servicemen. A few days earlier, similar strikes hit draft offices in Kryvyi Rih, Poltava, and Kremenchuk.
Ukrainian military officials believe Russia is now deliberately targeting Ukraine’s mobilization system – trying to slow down or disrupt efforts to bring more soldiers into the army.
Local authorities are reacting. In Lviv, recruitment offices have tightened security but continue to operate. In Vinnytsia, however, officials shut down the main TRC.