A Russian drone attack early Thursday damaged homes, historic landmarks, and parts of Odesa’s UNESCO-protected city center, local officials said.
The well-known Pryvoz Market – a nearly 200-year-old symbol of the city – caught fire during the strike. Crews are still battling the flames and working to limit the damage.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“Pryvoz is not just a market. It’s the heart of Odesa,” Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said in a statement. “It’s where the city comes alive.”
Photos and video from the scene showed firefighters trying to save the market as smoke rose above nearby buildings. The market has survived wars, revolutions, and even the Nazi blockade during World War II.
A nine-story residential building was also heavily damaged. Apartments on the 5th through 8th floors were destroyed, and fires broke out on the 5th and 6th floors. Authorities warned that the structure is now at risk of collapsing.
Emergency workers evacuated 33 residents from the building and rescued five people who were trapped inside their apartments. Search dogs were brought to the scene to look for anyone possibly still inside.
Russian Drone Strike Damages Chornobyl Nuclear Waste Storage Facility
Governor Oleh Kiper said the overnight attack caused multiple fires across the city, including in a two-story house, a gas station, and several shopping stalls.
“Despite strong work by our air defenses, we still had hits and fires,” Kiper said. “There is also damage to historic architecture in the UNESCO-protected center of Odesa.”
Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov shared photos of the famous Prymorskyi Boulevard after the attack. Windows were shattered, fences broken, and fragments of drones were scattered along the paths.
Russia has regularly targeted Odesa, a key port city on the Black Sea, since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022. The city’s historic center was added to UNESCO’s list of endangered sites last year.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
