A Russian drone strike killed a married couple overnight in Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa, local authorities said, as the country’s security service claimed it destroyed Russian helicopters and an anti-aircraft missile system in occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian authorities said the Russian attack on June 28 left at least two people dead and more than a dozen injured after a drone struck a 21-story residential building in Odesa, the country's biggest port city.
According to Ukraine's emergency services, a drone impact set three of the building's floors on fire, trapping people in their apartments.
“Destroyed homes, frightened children, human suffering -- these are the consequences of yet another enemy attack,” Odesa's mayor, Hennadiy Trukhanov, said on Telegram.
“Rescuers have just found the bodies of a married couple who were killed when an enemy drone struck their apartment,” he added.
Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa's regional military administration, said the number of injured has risen to 14, including three children. “Our medics are doing everything possible to preserve each person's life and health,” Kiper added.
Footage of the aftermath of the attack taken by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service showed the scorched floors of the building struck by the Russian drone.
Standing in the doorway where he had been at the moment of impact, local resident Serhiy told RFE/RL that “everything came crashing down” when his family heard the explosion.
“The children were very frightened. The older one, 2.5 years old, is already terrified of the air raid sirens -- let alone the explosion. I took him to his grandmother’s, and he clung to me for half an hour, refusing to let go,” Serhiy added.
There was no immediate comment on the attack from the Russian side.
Instead, Russia's Defense Ministry said over 40 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over western Russian regions as well as occupied Crimea.
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) claimed three attack helicopters and the anti-aircraft missile system were destroyed, when its drones hit Kirovske military airfield located on Crimean Peninsula.
“Available data indicate the destruction of Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28 multi-purpose and attack helicopters, as well as... a Pantsir-S1 [air-defense system],” the SBU said in a statement.
RFE/RL could not independently verify the claim, however, local Telegram channels reported that explosions were heard overnight in the area.
Speaking at a press conference in Minsk a day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian and Ukrainian proposals for peace were “absolutely contradictory” and denounced as “aggressive” a recent pledge by NATO members to increase their defense spending.
Later on June 27, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Russia's war in Ukraine will be “settled,” citing a recent call between him and Putin.
“We're working on that one. President Putin called up and he said, I'd love to help you with Iran. I said, do me a favor: I'll handle Iran. Help me with Russia. We got to get that one settled. And I think something's going to happen there,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
In the past months, Russia has kept up its attacks on Ukraine despite efforts by the United States to broker a peace deal.
No visible progress has emerged from two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul beyond exchanges of prisoners and the remains of the war dead.
