site.btaTwo Killed, 12 Injured after Russian Missile Attack in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Monday Afternoon, Telegram Channels Report

Two people were killed and at least 12 injured as a result of a Russian missile attack in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, a port in Odesa region, southwestern Ukraine, the head of the Odesa regional military administration Oleg Kipper reported on Telegram on Monday.

"Two people have died as a result of today's missile attack in the Ukrainian town of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi this afternoon. I offer my condolences to the relatives,“ Kipper wrote on Telegram.

Kipper said at least 12 people were injured, three of whom in very serious condition. Among the injured there are two children. All of the injured are receiving medical attention, Kipper added.

A loud explosion was heard on the outskirts of Odesa on Monday afternoon, local Telegram channels reported, according to them a ballistic missile was fired from the annexed by Russia Crimea and hit a local school, causing destruction.

Three minutes before the explosion, an air raid alert sounded. Local authorities urged residents to seek cover in bomb shelters immediately.

The emergency services immediately started clearing the rubble from the attack, searching for victims.

Oleg Kipper initially reported on Telegram that those trapped under the rubble of the destroyed local educational institution were likely members of the teaching staff, as the students were already on vacation.

The Bulgarian community in the Odesa region numbers over 150,000 people, making it the third-largest ethnic group in the area, according to Ukraine’s 2001 census. Within the city of Odessa itself, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 ethnic Bulgarians reside. The largest concentrations of Bulgarians are found in the Bolhrad, Izmail, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.