Russian drones struck the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, injuring three people and igniting fires, officials said Friday, highlighting Moscow’s continued aerial assaults despite agreeing to a temporary halt on strikes against energy facilities.
The attack came hours before Czech President Petr Pavel arrived in Odesa for meetings with local leaders and officials from southern regions.
“This is another reminder to the whole world: the war continues, and Ukraine continues to fight,” Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said in a statement. He reported fires at three locations, including civilian infrastructure and commercial facilities, with damaged vehicles at the scene. Emergency responders deployed over 70 personnel and 20 fire engines to contain what authorities described as “massive fires.”
In a separate assault, Russian glide bombs injured at least six people, including a child, in the Zaporizhzhia region overnight. Regional head Ivan Fedorov shared images of firefighters working to extinguish flames at damaged residential buildings.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 214 explosive drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks, with 114 intercepted and 81 jammed.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed 43 Ukrainian drones, including 34 over the Volgograd region and others over Rostov, Kursk, and Belgorod. Russian authorities did not report casualties or significant damage.
A fire continued to burn at an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region after a Ukrainian drone strike late Wednesday, adding to the rising tensions between the two nations.
The attacks came amid an agreement in principle for a limited ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, following a call between U.S. President Donald Trump and the countries’ leaders. However, differences emerged over what infrastructure the ceasefire would protect.
After speaking with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that discussions in Saudi Arabia this weekend would determine which sites—beyond energy infrastructure—might be safeguarded. While the White House referred to “energy and infrastructure,” the Kremlin insisted the agreement applied strictly to “energy infrastructure.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Friday that Russia is adhering to the 30-day halt on energy infrastructure attacks, as ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
“The Russian military are currently refraining from strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in accordance with the agreement reached between Russia and the United States,” Peskov said.
