???? Live: Russia attacks Odesa hours before Putin, Lukashenko summit

Issued on: 23/07/2023 – 09:07Modified: 23/07/2023 – 09:09

3 min

9:07 am: Ukraine says Russia launched 19 missiles on Odesa overnight

Ukraine on Sunday said Moscow launched 19 missiles from land, air and sea on its Black Sea port of Odesa at night, in another wave of attacks on the historic city after Russia exited the grain deal. 

“In total, the enemy used 19 missiles of various types,” Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram, saying nine of the weapons were destroyed. It said these included Oniks cruise missiles, sea-launched Kalibrs and Iskander ballistic missiles.

8:57 am: Zelensky vows ‘retaliation’ after Russian strikes on Odesa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday vowed to retaliate against Russian forces after Moscow attacked the historic port of Odesa with missiles, killing one person and damaging an Orthodox cathedral. 

“Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral,” Zelensky said. “There will definitely be a retaliation against Russian terrorists for Odesa. They will feel this retaliation.”

5:37 am: Russia’s attack on Odesa kills one, damages city’s largest cathedral

A Russian air attack on Ukraine’s Odesa city early on Sunday killed one, injured nearly 20 and badly damaged a Russian-linked Orthodox cathedral, with officials saying they retrieved the icon of the patroness of the port city from under the rubble.

“Odesa: another night attack of the monsters,” Oleh Kiper, governor of southern Ukraine’s Odesa region, said on the Telegram messaging app.

12:16 am: Putin, Lukashenko to meet after Russia warns about aggression against Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will meet on Sunday, the Kremlin said, two days after Moscow warned that any aggression against the its neighbour and staunchest ally would be considered an attack on Russia.

After Poland decided earlier this week to move military units closer to its border with Belarus in response to the arrival in Belarus of forces from Russia’s Wagner Group, Putin said Moscow would use all means it has to react to any hostility towards Minsk.

The Kremlin said Lukashenko is paying a working visit to Russia and will talk to Putin about further development of the countries’ “strategic partnership.”

Key developments from Saturday, July 22:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he had asked the head of NATO to convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council to discuss security in the Black Sea, particularly the operation of a corridor for Ukrainian grain exports.

 A war correspondent for Russia’s RIA news agency was killed and three other Russian journalists were wounded by shelling near the front line in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday, Russia’s defence ministry said.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow-annexed Crimea caused the “detonation” of an ammunition depot Saturday, the Moscow-installed leader of the peninsula said, ordering the evacuation of people living within five kilometres of the attack and halting rail traffic. 

The attack came five days after the only bridge linking annexed Crimea to Russia was hit, killing two people.  

Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)