Russia Strikes Odesa’s UNESCO-Protected Center and Homes Across Ukraine After Peace Offer
Russia unleashed a wave of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine overnight, targeting major cities including Odesa, Cherkasy, and Mykolaiv, Ukrainian authorities reported on July 24, The Gaze reports, citing United 24 Media.
Among the most heavily affected sites was Odesa’s historic Pryvoz Market—part of the city’s UNESCO-protected heritage zone—and a nine-story residential building that suffered severe damage.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES), the strike in Odesa destroyed multiple floors of the apartment building, injured at least four people, and forced the evacuation of over 30 residents.
Firefighters battled blazes that also engulfed a gas station and parts of the Pryvoz Market. A two-story market structure and several commercial pavilions were completely burned before being extinguished.
Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper confirmed that “civilian infrastructure was targeted deliberately,” including the market, homes, and even a registered architectural monument. He added that “there is a risk of structural collapse” at the residential building, complicating rescue operations.
In Cherkasy, a missile strike hit residential neighborhoods, injuring seven, including a child. Fires were quickly contained by emergency services. Local authorities reported an additional strike on a cemetery in the Cherkasy region.
In Mykolaiv, Russian drones ignited multiple fires overnight. Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych stated that emergency services were working across several impact sites. Fortunately, no casualties have yet been reported in the city, according to regional governor Vitaliy Kim.
Further east, Russian forces struck a high-rise in Kramatorsk with a FAB-250 guided aerial bomb, causing a fatal fire. One child born in 2015 was killed, and five others were injured, city authorities confirmed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the overnight barrage, highlighting its timing:
“Yesterday in Istanbul, a proposal was once again voiced to the Russian side to immediately and fully cease fire. In response, Russian drones struck residential buildings and Pryvoz Market in Odesa, apartment blocks in Cherkasy, energy infrastructure in Kharkiv region, a university gym in Zaporizhzhia, and more in Donetsk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions.”
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