A series of explosions were heard throughout Odessa on Sunday morning, marking the first major Russian strikes on the Black Sea city’s downtown.
Two dark plumes of smoke could be seen on the skyline near one of Odessa’s major ports and appeared to be coming from a fuel depot.
Washington Post correspondent Isabelle Khurshudyan, who is in Odesa, tweeted: "Loud explosions in downtown Odessa right now. My hotel room windows just shook. Not clear what that was."
Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for Odesa's regional military administration, urged city residents to stay in shelters.
"We will overcome. Hell to enemies!" he wrote in a Facebook post.
Odessa has long been considered a target for the Russian military because it is an economically vital port. But with Moscow’s ground forces unable to advance past Mykolaiv, about 70 miles east, Odessa has been largely spared any attacks. Local businesses and even the zoo have reopened in the past week.
Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, confirmed on his Telegram channel that "Odesa was attacked from the air" by missiles, some of which he says were "were shot down by air defence".
An AFP news wire reporter heard explosions in the port city at 06:00 local time, followed by at least three thick columns of smoke and flames visible in an apparently industrial area.
The target of the strike has not yet been confirmed.
Since the invasion of Ukraine began, Russian forces have swept across the country, laying siege to cities in the north, east, and even west. Having taken Kherson near south-central Ukraine and laid siege to the eastern port of Mariupol, reports suggest that the Russians could be eyeing the port city of Odessa next.
In light of the recent Russian naval activity in the Black Sea, the city's residents are gearing up to face the brunt of a full-scale Russian assault: reports suggested that the city centre and beaches were being fortified to hold off or at least slow down Russian forces.
While control over Mariupol assures Russian hold over the Sea of Azov, Odessa controls access to and control over the Black Sea and is a tremendously important port vis-a-vis the movement of cargo and resources through Europe.
The city of Odessa is located in Odessa Oblast, a 33,300 square kilometre region that is the largest in Ukraine and roughly the size of Belgium or Moldova. The city, and the region in general, is home to a diverse multi-ethnic population, with Russians being the second largest ethnic group. The region also has considerable natural resources and is an important energy and transport corridor.
