Russia targets Odesa with missiles three times in row, killing one person

As of 7:05 p.m, 1 person was reported killed. The number of wounded has increased to 8, said Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.

"The number of wounded has increased to eight people. Five of them are in hospital in moderate condition, the rest were treated on the spot," he noted.

At 5:25 p.m., Kiper reported that the Russians had launched a missile attack on the territory of Odesa region.

"There is a massive fire in Odesa district at the site where one of the missiles hit. Civilian infrastructure has been damaged," he said.

The head of the Regional Military Administration also said that according to the latest information, five people were injured. He added that three people with injuries were hospitalized, while two others were treated on the spot. 

Russian forces attacked Odesa region three times: details

As of 6:30 p.m., another Russian attack was reported in the Odesa region, Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army South, told Espreso.

"Explosions are heard again, and air defense systems are operating, just as they did during the previous events. First, the enemy attacked Odesa and the Odesa district with ballistic missiles from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea. Explosions were heard at the site of the hit, it was civilian infrastructure," he said.

According to him, a heavy fire is currently burning at the site of the hit, and the rescue operation is underway.

Bratchuk added that later the Russian forces tried to attack the Odesa district from tactical aircraft. The consequences of the second attack have not yet been reported. In his opinion, it could have been the Kh-59 or Kh-69 missile, but official information will be known after the examination. These missiles were probably destroyed by Ukraine's air defense systems.

"There were two attacks, and now there is a third attack in a row. I think the enemy is using ballistic missiles, but this is preliminary information. From the ballistics, we can assume that Russia uses Iskanders, launching them from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, which leads to the corresponding train of thought that the Defense Forces are working a lot in Crimea on enemy air defense systems, that is, S-300 and S-400 systems that operate in the "ground-to-ground" mode and often attack Odesa and the Odesa region," Bratchuk stated.

• On the afternoon of May 17, Russia bombed Kharkiv. At least two people were killed and more than a dozen civilians were injured.