site.btaUPDATED Russian Strikes Hit Odesa Again Overnight, Killing Five, Injuring 23

Nine people have been killed and 23 injured during a large-scale overnight mixed attack on Odesa, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, said on his Telegram channel. Rescue operations are ongoing.

Kiper said Russian forces carried out multiple waves of combined missile and drone strikes overnight. Damage was reported to port facilities, critical infrastructure, and residential buildings.

Facades and windows were destroyed in at least three residential buildings, as well as in a dormitory and nearby structures, he added.

Fires broke out at several infrastructure sites as a result of the shelling, and emergency teams are working to contain the aftermath and assess the damage. 

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Russian forces had attacked the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa for a second time overnight, with a powerful explosion reported in the city center.

Local authorities have urged residents to take shelter in bomb shelters.

A Bulgarian delegation is currently in Odesa, consisting of BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, Sofia University Rector Georgi Valchev and MUSICAUTOR CEO Ivan Dimitrov

On Wednesday, they took part in the unveiling of a memorial plaque dedicated to Bulgarian Revival-era poet, composer, and educator Dobri Chintulov at the Odesa Theological Seminary, where he studied. Bulgaria’s Consul General in Odesa, Svetoslav Ivanov, also attended the ceremony.

The project was implemented as a joint initiative of the Bulgarian News Agency and the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Odesa, with the support of the Odesa Theological Seminary.

Bulgarians in Odesa Oblast number over 150,000 and constitute the third-largest community according to the latest official census in Ukraine. In the city of Odesa itself, around 50–60,000 Bulgarians live. The largest concentrated Bulgarian populations are in the Bolhrad, Izmail, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.