During the night of March 28, Odesa experienced significant damage due to a Russian military attack, as reported by the city’s military administration chief, Serhiy Lysak. The assault resulted in one fatality and injuries to at least a dozen individuals, including a nine-year-old boy.
As of 7:00 AM, Lysak confirmed that one person had died from injuries sustained in the attack. In total, 11 people were reported injured, with medical assistance provided to all victims. Oleg Kiper, the regional governor, later updated the casualty figures, indicating that the number of injured had risen to 12.
The attack caused extensive damage, including strikes on the roof of a maternity hospital. In the Primorsky district, residential buildings suffered considerable damage, with balconies and windows shattered, and fires reported on upper floors. Additionally, several private homes were set ablaze, and over ten vehicles were damaged.
In the Khadzhybe district, fires were recorded in apartments and on the roof of a five-story building. The Kyiv district also saw damage to non-residential structures and broken windows in residential areas. In response to the situation, the municipal authorities established operational headquarters and mobile heating points to assist affected residents.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of attacks by Russian forces, which have been targeting Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using various types of weaponry, including drones and missiles. These actions have drawn international condemnation, with Ukrainian officials and global organizations classifying them as war crimes.
The ongoing assaults on essential services and healthcare facilities are viewed as deliberate attempts to deprive civilians of basic necessities such as electricity, heating, and medical care. Legal experts and human rights advocates have raised concerns that these actions may constitute genocidal behavior, citing statements from Russian officials that undermine the existence of the Ukrainian identity.
The 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates member states to prevent and punish acts of genocide in both wartime and peacetime. The convention defines genocide as actions intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Despite the mounting evidence, Russian leadership continues to deny that its military targets civilian infrastructure, asserting that its operations are focused on military objectives.
The recent Russian attack on Odesa has resulted in casualties and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. Authorities are responding to the crisis while international observers classify the attacks as potential war crimes.