Death toll rises after Russian drone attack on Ukrainian port city

2024-03-03 12:04:22

kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — The death toll in a Russian drone strike that destroyed an apartment block in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa rose to 10 on Sunday, following a local official reported that the body of a third child had been found in the rubble. .

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on his Western allies to strengthen Ukrainian defenses following Saturday’s deadly attack.

Rescuers recovered the remains of a woman and her baby, who did not appear to be “even a year old,” Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odessa region, said on Telegram.

Ukrainian authorities reported Saturday that a months-old baby was among the dead following debris from an Iranian-made drone hit the apartment building. It was one of eight Russian drones reported that day by authorities. Later that day, Zelensky said another child had died and asked his associates to send more anti-aircraft systems.

“Tymofiy was 4 months old. Mark was regarding to turn 3 years old. My condolences to everyone close to him,” Zelensky wrote in English on X, formerly Twitter. He added that a 3-year-old girl and seven other people had been injured in the attack.

“Delays in the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, as well as in air defense to protect our people, unfortunately result in these losses (…) Ukraine has never requested anything more than what is necessary to protect lives,” Zelensky wrote. .

Four more people might be trapped under rubble in Odessa, the local division of Ukraine’s main emergency service said on Facebook on Sunday. Kiper, the local governor, indicated that rescuers were still searching the area.

The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, said that 38 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight Sunday over the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. A bridge connecting Crimea with Russian territory was closed to the traffic regarding two hours in the morning.

In Moscow, China’s special envoy to Ukraine met with senior Russian diplomats on Saturday night at the start of a European tour that will also take him to Brussels, Poland, Germany and France, Chinese and Russian state media reported. .

Special Representative Li Hui and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin agreed that negotiations are the only way to end the fighting in Ukraine, according to a text published Sunday morning.

Li’s trip, his second since last May, came as kyiv seeks to get Beijing to participate in peace talks that Switzerland is trying to organize this spring. China claims to be neutral in Russia’s war in Ukraine, but maintains close ties with Moscow, with

“We will continue to play our unique role, conducting mediation diplomacy, building consensus among all parties and bringing Chinese wisdom to foster the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Wednesday.

1709468090
#Death #toll #rises #Russian #drone #attack #Ukrainian #port #city