Russian Drone Strike on Ukrainian City of Odesa Kills Married Couple, Injures 17

A Russian drone attack overnight killed a married couple and injured at least 17 others in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, The Associated Press reported on Saturday, quoting Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine Accuses Russia; Children Among the Injured

The drone struck a residential skyscraper, destroying three floors and trapping occupants within, the report said, adding that emergency services rushed to the area to rescue those trapped under the wreckage.

“The two who were killed in the attack were a married couple,” AP quoted Regional Governor Oleh Kiper as saying, while Kiper also confirmed that at least three children were among the wounded.

There was no official reaction from Moscow at the time of writing this report. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that Moscow’s air defenses intercepted over 40 Ukrainian drones overnight and early Saturday morning throughout western Russia and Crimea, as reported by the AP.

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Drone warfare Increasingly Defining the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Drone warfare has increasingly defined the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has now entered its fourth year, with both sides reporting heavy casualties.

Earlier this month, Ukraine reportedly launched a large drone attack on Russian territory, with “almost a third of Moscow’s strategic bomber force wrecked” Ukrainian sources told the publication.

Human Toll of The Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Low-flying drones are reported to have been used along the 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line, which many allege have frequently targetted civilians.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Thursday that at least 395 civilians have been killed and 2,635 wounded by drone attacks since February 2022. Nearly 90% of those attacks were by Russian troops, it said, according to the US-based news agency.

Through June 11, there have been over 13,300 civilian deaths and 34,700+ injuries since the conflict started, according to the UN estimates cited by the AP.

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