site.btaPowerful Explosion Rocks Odesa

A powerful explosion was heard in one of Odesa’s large residential districts, Tairovo, following a Russian missile attack, local Telegram channels reported on Sunday.

An air-raid alert was issued at 4:49 p.m., and the explosion was heard three minutes later, at 4:52 p.m.

Telegram sources also warned of a potential drone attack from the Black Sea.

Regional authorities have urged all residents to take shelter in bomb shelters.

Bulgarians in the Odesa region number more than 150,000 and were the third largest population group in Ukraine in 2001, according to the official census. About 50,000 - 60,000 Bulgarians live in the city of Odesa itself. The largest compact Bulgarian population is concentrated in the Bolhrad, Izmail and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.