Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were traveling by car to a meeting when a Russian missile landed hundreds of meters away. The two leaders were inspecting Odessa, Ukraine.
According to the Financial Times and CNN on the 6th (local time), the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it conducted an airstrike on the Odessa area around 11:40 a.m. that day.
“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a high-precision missile attack on a hangar in the Odessa port area containing unmanned maritime drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Five people were killed and many injured in the Odessa area in the airstrike that day.
This airstrike occurred shortly after the two leaders, who were inspecting the area, arrived at the port of Odessa. Fortunately, President Zelensky and Prime Minister Mitsotakis were safe and unharmed by the airstrike.
Citing a source, the media reported, “While they were visiting the port of Odessa, they felt the impact of the attack and the group saw a ‘mushroom cloud’ covered in smoke.” According to Greek officials, the explosion occurred about 300 meters away from where the motorcade was.
Regarding this airstrike, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said, “When we got into the car, we heard a loud explosion, but we didn’t have time to go to the air raid shelter.” He added, “Reading about the war in the newspaper and hearing it with your ears and seeing it with your own eyes are really different.”
“I think this is the best and most vivid reminder to us that there is a real war going on every day, and it affects not only the front lines and the soldiers, but also our innocent civilians,” he said.
Odessa is one of Ukraine’s few port cities and is an important strategic location for grain exports. As the Russian military continues to attack Odessa, where the Ukrainian naval drone base is located, civilian casualties are increasing. On the 2nd, a suicide drone launched by the Russian military detonated itself at an apartment complex in the Odessa area, killing 12 people, including 5 children.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.