Russia kills 21 people with missiles near Odesa after abandoning Snake Island

SERHIIVKA — In Russia, residents are one of the apartments Hours after flattened Russian troops abandoned the outpost near Snake Island, authorities slept on Friday in a missile attack near the Ukrainian Black Sea port in Odesa, where authorities say at least 21 people were killed. ..

Neighbors of Serhiivka in the resort village watch workers comb in the rubble of a partially destroyed 9-story apartment at 1 am I helped.

The walls and windows of a nearby 14-story apartment were also damaged by the blast. The nearby holiday camp was also hit.

"We came to the scene, evaluated the situation with rescuers and locals, helped those who survived together, and unfortunately those who died. We I helped take them away, "said Oleksandr Abramov, who lived nearby and rushed to the scene when he heard the blast.

Odesa local government spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said it was confirmed that 21 people had been killed, including a 12-year-old boy. Officials previously said 41 people had been rescued from the apartment where 152 people lived.

The local governor said Soviet-era missiles were launched from the direction of the Black Sea.

The Kremlin denied targeting civilians: "I want to remind the president that the Russian army does not cooperate with civilian targets," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported. I told the group. The

attack occurred just four days after Russia struck a crowded shopping mall in central Ukraine, killing at least 19 people.

Kiuf says Moscow has recently dramatically escalated long-range attacks on civilian targets far from the front lines. This is what Ukraine describes as a war crime. Russia says it is targeting military installations.

Thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Ukraine states that it is an unprovoked war of aggression. Russia calls the aggression a "special operation" to eradicate nationalists.

On Thursday, Russia troops from Snake Island, a desolate but strategically important outcrop that occupied the first day of the war and dominated the northwestern Black Sea. Was withdrawn. Blockade Odesa and other ports.

In a nightly video speech, President Volodymyr Zelensky praised his strategic victory on Snake Island and what he said.

"Security is not yet guaranteed. It is not yet guaranteed that the enemy will not come back," he said. "But this severely limits the actions of the occupiers. Step by step, we push them back from our seas, our lands, and our skies."

EU flag praise

In Kiv, the European Union flag passed the Chamber of Commerce and stood beside the Ukrainian flag behind the pedestal, so Ukrainian legislators were worthy. I sent an applause. Of the official EU candidate status of Ukraine granted last week.

Zelensky and his lawmakers also prayed for those killed in the morning attack near Odesa.

Russia's enhanced campaign for long-range missile attacks on Ukrainian cities forces its troops to succeed on the eastern battlefield and force Kyiv to hand over two states to separatists. I came with a relentless attack.

Moscow has been trying to occupy one of these states, Luhansk, since it occupied the city of Sieviero Donetsk last week after the fierce battle of the war. The last Ukrainian fortress in Luhansk is the city of Lysychansik across the Siverskyi Donets. The river is surrounded by relentless Russian bombardment.

Russians bombarded Lysychans'k from different directions and approached from several sides, regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Ukrainian television.

"The firepower dominance of the occupiers is still very clear," Zelensky said. "They just brought in all the reserves to attack us."

National symbol

In Russia-occupied Severodonetsk, inhabitants emerge from the basement and the city Sifted through the rubble.

"Almost all urban infrastructure has been destroyed. We have lived without gas, electricity and water since May," 65-year-old Sergei Oleinik told Reuters. "I'm glad this is over. Soon the reconstruction will begin and will more or less return to normal life."

However, after being defeated in the east, Ukraine's victory on Snake Island led to Kyiv. Has had great success in the Black Sea. The island has been a national symbol since the first day of the war, when Ukrainian guards ordered to surrender by Russia ordered on the radio, "Russian warships, let's do it ourselves."

Russia uses the rule of the sea to block Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, destroy Ukraine's economy and famine globally. Threatened to cause.

Moscow denies responsibility for the food crisis. This is due to Western sanctions damaging their exports. President Vladimir Putin met with Indonesian President on Thursday and spoke to the Prime Minister of India on Friday, promising Russia to remain a major supplier of grain to both major food importers.

Evicting Russians from Snake Island could be a step towards reopening Odesa's port, but military analysts say Russia could still threaten cargo ships at sea. It states that there is.

Ukraine has done enough damage to the east to exhaust Russia's advancing troops and hopes to turn the tide in the coming months with advanced weapons arriving from the west.

In the latest signs of Russia's division with Europe, the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria appointed her ambassador and the Bulgarian ambassador to Moscow after refusing to reinstate a diplomat exiled by Sophia for a spy. He said he would ask for a closure.