site.btaDrone Attack Targets Odesa Early Friday Morning, Authorities Urge Residents to Take Shelter

The Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa came under Russian drone attack early Thursday morning, according to a post by Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov on Telegram. Explosions were reported in the city, with local Telegram channels confirming multiple strikes.

Some 10 drones are believed to have targeted Odesa from both the Black Sea waters and the directions of the coastal towns of Pivdenne and Chornomorsk, local sources say.

An air raid alert was issued at 8:21 a.m. local time, with city authorities warning of a high level of danger and urging all residents to seek shelter in bomb shelters until the alert is lifted.

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage, and emergency services are reportedly assessing the situation.

Odesa Region is home to the third largest community of expatriate Bulgarians, numbering more than 150,000 people, according to an official population census in Ukraine in 2001. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Bulgarians live in the regional capital, Odesa, while others are concentrated in the districts of Bolhrad, Izmail, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.