Attack on the historical center of Odessa. Damage was caused to Ushinskyі University, the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, and the oldest hospital in the city

On the night of June 17, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine. Among the targets were Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa. The historical part of Odessa was destroyed. At dawn on June 17, Russia launched a massive attack on Odessa with strike drones. There is destruction in the city: damage to civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, a preschool, an inclusive center, and garages, in particular, the historical center of the city was damaged.

According to the head of the Odessa regional military administration, Oleg Kiper, 17 people were injured in the attack in the city, including a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl. One person was taken to the hospital, the others are being treated as outpatients after receiving medical care. A 60-year-old woman died – her body was found under the rubble.

In the premises of the so-called art gallery – the building of the Ushinskyі South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University. University employees showed the consequences of the destruction. Pieces of the ceiling fell in the classrooms, corridors, assembly hall, library, glass flew out, and shelves were destroyed.

In the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, windows, walls, icons, and roof were damaged as a result of the explosion of a Russian drone. According to the rector of the church, Archpriest Theodore Orobets, the drone crashed into a tree 20 meters from the church and exploded. The blast wave broke out all the windows of the Sunday school, which overlooks the backyard, the door there was destroyed, and one wall moved by 5−7 centimeters.

The building of one of the oldest medical institutions in Odessa – the city infectious diseases hospital – was also damaged. More than 100 windows and doors in four buildings were broken out. The hospital is home to a monument of national architectural and historical significance, where Professor Pirogov worked.