Russian forces launched missile attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kryvyi Rih early Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, in a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict with no quick resolution in sight. The strikes damaged residential areas, a maternity hospital, and an industrial site, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
In Odesa, Serhiy Lysak, head of the city's military administration, reported that one person died in hospital from injuries sustained in the attacks, with 11 others, including a child, wounded. Damage was inflicted on a maternity hospital roof, high-rise buildings, and homes across several districts. Lysak detailed fires on the upper floors of an apartment block, damaged cars, and shattered windows and balconies in residential buildings, condemning the assault on civilian infrastructure.
In Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipro regional administration, stated that a morning strike hit an industrial site, killing two men and wounding two others, while causing fires at the facility. Additionally, Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz said on Saturday that Russian drones attacked gas production facilities in the Poltava region, killing one person, marking a third consecutive day of such assaults and highlighting the broadening scope of targets.
These deadly strikes occur amid stalled diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, with no talks currently underway between Russia and Ukraine, dimming hopes for a ceasefire. On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of lying about US demands and voiced openness to diverting weapons to Kyiv to support the joint US-Israel attack on Iran. Rubio refuted Zelenskyy's claims that the US is pressuring Ukraine to cede the eastern Donbas region to Russia, revealing internal discord within the American regime.
Rubio further indicated that assistance to Ukraine could be redirected after the US and Israel attacked Iran, emphasizing that American interests would take priority, which raises questions about the future of support for Kyiv. This situation underscores the persistent challenges in the war, as global attention shifts and prospects for a swift end to hostilities remain bleak.
Source: www.aljazeera.com