Russian forces attacked the southern port city of Odesa on Friday, wounding two civilians and damaging infrastructure and the roof of an educational institution, according to the head of the Odesa City Military Administration.
Serhii Lysak said on Telegram that the enemy struck the city, with damage reported to infrastructure and an educational facility. “The enemy attacked Odesa. Infrastructure and the roof of an educational institution were damaged,” Lysak wrote.
Lysak later reported that two people were injured in the attack. “A 43-year-old man in critical condition was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds. A 72-year-old woman was hospitalized in moderate condition,” he said.
Friday’s strike follows a pattern of repeated Russian attacks on Odesa, a key hub for Ukrainian grain exports and a frequent target since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Russian forces also struck an infrastructure facility in Odesa on the afternoon of July 29, according to earlier reports, and the city has faced waves of missile and drone attacks throughout the summer.
The attack came hours after one of the largest Russian missile and drone barrages of the war, in which Moscow launched hundreds of missiles and drones across Ukraine overnight, killing at least eight civilians in several regions and sending a cruise missile deep into Polish airspace. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on allies to strengthen air defense coverage for port cities and critical infrastructure.
Damage to schools has become a recurring feature of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine’s education authorities have documented thousands of educational institutions damaged or destroyed since the start of the invasion, forcing millions of children into online or shelter-based learning. Friday’s strike damaged the roof of a school in Odesa, though no children were reported among the wounded.
Local authorities said emergency services were working at the site and that assessments of the full extent of the damage were continuing. Odesa’s port infrastructure, central to Ukraine’s agricultural exports and global food security, has been hit repeatedly during the war, and Ukrainian officials have urged faster delivery of additional Western air defense systems to protect the city and its grain corridor.
Sources: Ukrinform, Odesa City Military Administration (Telegram), Ukrinform (July 29 Odesa strike)
Author: Ukraine Desk
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