The Ukrainian Air Force has provided a breakdown of the massive Russian assault on the Odesa early Sunday morning, Aug. 9, which involved a combination of ballistic missiles and a swarm of various drones.
Russian forces launched 11 missiles of various types – the majority targeting ballistic trajectories – alongside up to 100 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The drone swarm included jet-powered models and “Banderol” loitering munitions.
By 8:00 a.m. local time, Ukrainian air defenses had intercepted 72% of the UAVs, five out of six Banderol munitions, and one missile. Three additional missiles failed to reach their targets due to active electronic warfare countermeasures.
However, the Air Force recorded impacts from missiles and attack drones across nine separate locations in Odesa and the surrounding region.
The Odesa Regional Military Administration reported that the attack injured 12 people, 11 of whom were hospitalized in moderate condition.
The strikes damaged residential buildings and severely impacted the local energy infrastructure. Parts of Odesa city and the surrounding district are currently experiencing electricity blackouts, as well as interruptions to water supply and mobile communications.
“The delivery of technical water has been organized to all districts of the city. Pump rooms are also operating,” the regional administration stated.
Deadly strikes on Kharkiv high-rises
The massive attack on Odesa occurred with a strike in northeastern Ukraine. On Sunday morning, Russian forces targeted the Saltivka district in Kharkiv.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported a direct hit on a multi-story residential building, which destroyed the seventh through tenth floors. As rescue workers arrived, a second strike hit a neighboring high-rise in a deliberate “double-tap” attack.
The strikes in Kharkiv killed three people. Regional authorities confirmed that at least 37 people were injured, including a five-year-old boy.
A week of intense bombardment
President Volodymyr Zelensky detailed the scale of the recent bombardments across the country. Over the past week alone, Russia deployed 61 missiles (including 56 targeting ballistic trajectories), more than 1,560 attack drones, and 1,540 guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian cities.
“Every such strike against life reminds us again and again: we need more pressure, more sanctions against Russia, and more anti-aircraft defense for Ukraine,” the president said.
The Sunday assaults followed a wave of attacks on Saturday, Aug. 8. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces struck near a shopping center and energy facilities in the city center of Pavlohrad. By Saturday evening, the casualty toll in Pavlohrad had risen to nine injured, including four children.
Earlier on Saturday evening, Russian forces dropped two guided aerial bombs on Izium in the Kharkiv region, damaging four apartment buildings and injuring up to seven civilians.
Furthermore, Russian attacks on the Zhytomyr region on Sunday injured three people and ignited fires across civilian infrastructure and a private residential house.