Russian missile strikes on the port city of Odesa, Ukraine, have resulted in at least one person killed and 19 others injured, as stated by officials. The Transfiguration Cathedral, situated in the UNESCO world heritage-listed historic center, suffered severe damage in the attacks, BBC reports.
Russia claims that its Odesa targets were involved in preparing "terrorist acts" and has attributed the cathedral attack to Ukrainian air defense.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed retaliation in response to the ongoing attacks by Moscow, which intensified after Russia withdrew from a crucial grain deal on July 17. The regional governor of Odesa revealed that 14 people, including four children, were hospitalized due to the missile blasts, which also destroyed six residential buildings.
Kyiv has accused Russia of deliberately targeting the cathedral as part of a broader campaign to harm the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Unesco, the UN's cultural agency, expressed deep concern and strong condemnation of the attack on Odesa's historic center. The city's historic center was designated as an endangered World Heritage site earlier this year, despite opposition from Russia.
Amid the escalating attacks, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, reiterated calls for additional missiles and defense systems to protect civilians and critical infrastructure. The strikes have reportedly targeted grain supplies and vital infrastructure related to the UN-backed grain deal. A previous missile attack destroyed around 60,000 tonnes of grain in the city, impacting Ukraine's largest port and disrupting grain shipments.
The grain deal, brokered by Turkey and the UN in July 2022, allowed cargo ships to navigate a corridor in the Black Sea for the transportation of grain between Russia and Ukraine.
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