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UPDATE: The Russian Ministry of Defense officially confirmed the destruction of the headquarters of the Southern Operation Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Odesa.
On the night of May 1, the city of Odesa came under another wave of Russian strikes. Unable to hide the damage, the local authorities confirmed the strikes but did not officially reveal the targets.
The Ukrainian officials traditionally reported inly civilian losses. According to the head of the regional administration, three people were killed, including a police officer, three more people were wounded as a result of the attack. The mayor of Odesa said that residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged. However, the local residents revealed that the Russian precision strikes reached their targets and confirmed heavy damage with the footage of large explosions in the city.
According to the Ukrainian military, the city was struck by three Russian Iskander-M missiles. At least three large explosions were confirmed in the city.
At least one of precision strikes hit the area of Kulikovo Field Square in the city center. The headquarters of the Southern Operation Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is located there. The square is immediately cordoned off by the Ukrainian military and the Secutiry Service of Ukraine (SBU) officers. According to eyewitnesses, many ambulances drove in this direction. These reports may confirm the rumors that the attack took place during the meeting of the Ukrainian military commanders and probably NATO ‘military instructors’ held in the basement of the building.
Footage from the city shows some damage to the residential buildings on Pirogovskaya street located nearby:
More Russian strikes were reported in the area of the local railway station, where a military echelon with ammunition and equipment or military warehouse was destroyed.
Some preliminary reports claimed the destruction of Ukrainian air defense system in Odesa, as well as a launcher of Neptune anti-aircraft missile system. Last night, explosions were also reported in the port town of Iliychevsk (Chernomorsk).
Judging by indirect evidence and reports from Ukrainian sources, the main target of the attack – the headquarters of the Southern Group of Ukrainian forces – was indeed destroyed by Russian strikes. The attack on the decision-making center in the southern region may be a response to the recent Ukrainian/NATO attempts to attack the Crimean peninsula.
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