Odessa: At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in a double Russian missile attack

CNN
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a Russian Two missiles hit civilian infrastructure in a Ukrainian city OdessaUkrainian officials said on Friday that at least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured.

After the first missile struck the Black Sea port city on Friday morning, killing and wounding civilians, Ukrainian emergency service personnel who rushed to the scene were hit by a second strike, in an attack known as “rocket bombing.” “Double tap” Russia used it throughout more than two years of its war in Ukraine.

The Russian missile attack led to the death of a paramedic and a rescue worker who had arrived at the scene after the first explosion to provide assistance. “There are also serious injuries among paramedics and rescue workers,” Oleh Kiper, head of the Odessa Regional Military Administration, wrote on Telegram.

The attacks come as Russians across the country head to the polls in a carefully choreographed election that is expected to give President Vladimir Putin a fifth term in power.

Ukrainian emergency services said Russia fired the first missile at around 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), hitting a civilian building and causing a fire. Rescuers arrived to try to extinguish the fire and search for survivors before they were struck by the second strike shortly after.

In addition to the 14 dead, at least 46 people were injured, including seven emergency services personnel, Kiper said.

Odessa, a vital port for Ukrainian grain exports and a main base for its navy, was severely damaged after months of Russian strikes.

Last week, a Russian missile exploded a few hundred meters from the area Convoy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – the leader of a NATO member state – hold. The two men said they were close enough to see and hear the hit.

Zelensky frequently makes high-risk trips to the front lines, and has welcomed dozens of world leaders to Ukraine since Russia launched its massive invasion. But the attack was one of the president's closest calls.

After the strike, Zelensky made a renewed appeal to his allies to provide more air defences. While the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, is relatively well protected by the US-made Patriot system, not all Ukrainian cities have the same level of protection.

Mitsotakis described the strike as “a clear reminder that there is a real war going on here.” “Every day there is a war that affects not only the front and the soldiers, but also our innocent citizens.”