Explosions Reported in Ukraine’s Odesa As Oil Depots Are Struck (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A series of explosions erupted in Odessa in southern Ukraine around 6 a.m. local time, and pillars of smoke rose over the city.
The Associated Press reported that there were two powerful explosions, as they were in the port area.
In his Telegram account, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said, “Odessa has been attacked from the air, there are signals of fires in some areas. Some of the missiles were shot down by the air defense. People are advised to close their windows.”
The Russian military said it has struck an oil processing plant and fuel depots around the strategic Black Sea port of Odesa.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Russian ships and aircraft fired missiles on Sunday to strike the facilities, which he said were used to provide fuel to Ukrainian troops near Mykolaiv.
Konashenkov also said Russian strikes destroyed ammunition depots in Kostiantynivka and Khresyshche.
In an audio message posted by Italian news agency ANSA, Italian photographer Carlo Orlandi said Odessa woke to military sirens at 5:45 a.m. Sunday, followed immediately by the sounds of bombs falling on the port city from two aircraft.
He described a column of dark smoke rising from the targets, and flames from the buildings.
“What we can see is a dense screen of dark smoke, and one explosion after the other,″ Orlandi said.
