Double tap Russian strike kills and injures dozens in Ukraine's Odesa
A Russian missile strike killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 70 in Odesa on Friday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Moscow has battered the Black Sea port city in recent weeks, hitting it repeatedly with drones or missiles.
First responders rushing to aid victims of the first strike on residential areas in Odesa were themselves targeted by a second missile, resulting in the deaths of a paramedic and an emergency service worker.
Civilian infrastructure was also hit in Russia's deadliest attack in weeks.
Authorities reported that 70 others were injured in the attack, which inflicted damage on approximately 10 houses and emergency service infrastructure in the port city.
Blazes broke out, detailed Ukraine’s Emergency Service and regional Governor Oleh Kiper.
This military tactic, termed a "double tap," involves firing a second missile at the same location, often targeting rescuers.
Governor Kiper declared a day of mourning in Odesa for Saturday, making this the second time in less than two weeks.
Russia has escalated its assaults on Odesa, a vital southern port with a population of approximately 1 million inhabitants, since summer.
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These attacks have predominantly focused on port facilities, aimed at disrupting the export of vital Ukrainian goods, especially cereal crops and fertiliser, and
Kiv's maritime navigation in the
Black Sea.
Other parts of Ukraine also saw attacks.
Overnight in Ukne's central
Vinnytsia region, two individuals lost their lives and three were injured after a building was struck by a Russian drone, according to regional Governor Serhii Borzov.
The Ukrainian air force claimed it shot down 27 Shahed drones launched by Russia over various regions, including Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Kyiv.