Russia fired dozens of missiles at Odessa from the morning until late at night on May 9. This is the only city not on the front line that has suffered so much that day. What is known about the purposes and consequences of the shelling?

The Russians struck the first blow in the Odesa region on the morning of Victory Day. They hit rockets from the Bastion coastal complex in annexed Crimea.

The shelling destroyed the infrastructure, said the head of the Odessa regional military administration Maxim Marchenko.

During the day and in the evening the Russian Federation continued to strike missiles at Odessa. Some of the missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian air defense, but some hit the target.

“Three Dagger missiles were released from the Tu-22 strategic aircraft. Hitting the tourist infrastructure was recorded. 5 buildings were destroyed,” said OVA spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk.

Two people were injured in the shelling, and a dog was found and rescued under the rubble of the building.

Another missile strike by Russia struck closer to midnight: Russian aircraft fired 7 more missiles.

The Armed Forces Command points out that these were no longer the latest high-precision missiles.

“The enemy’s missile reserves are obviously in the balance, as rare Soviet-style missiles have been launched, which are already failing in terms of age,” the South Operational Command said.

Russian missiles hit the mall and the warehouse of finished consumer goods. The city authorities emphasize that these facilities were not related to the military infrastructure, were not warehouses for weapons or ammunition.

One person died from the shelling, 5 more were hospitalized with moderate injuries.

The Ukrainian military command believes that the rocket attacks on Odessa should have put psychological pressure on people and are “hysterical attacks” on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“That’s how” Russian World “congratulated the hero city of Odessa on May 9,” – summed up the mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov.

From the evening of May 8 until the morning of the 10th in Odessa intensified curfew. It was forbidden to be on the streets without special passes, the railway station and suburban bus routes were not working. The work of trade markets and restaurants was limited.

OVA spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said that there were no serious violations during the curfew, but several people suspected of collaborating with Russia were detained.

On May 9, another extraordinary event took place in Odessa. The city, which is regularly under rocket fire, was visited by European Council President Charles Michel. Here he met with local authorities and the head of the Ukrainian government Denis Shmygal.

The main topic of the meeting was the unblocking of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The Russian navy has been blocking all supply routes in the Black Sea since February and has also mined the waters.

Michel and Shmygal also visited a destroyed house in one of the districts of Odessa, which was hit by a Russian missile on April 23. Then 3-month-old Kira Glodan, her mother and grandmother died.

Following the visit, the European official promised that the EU would continue to impose sanctions on Russia and will work to unblock Ukrainian ports. Shmygal stressed that 90 million tons of agricultural products, which should be exported, are currently blocked in ports. Ukraine loses $ 170 million a day from this situation.

“We will do everything to help you stop the Russian military machine,” said European Council President Charles Michel.

Immediately during Michel’s visit, a missile strike was launched in the Odesa region. A European official was forced to hide in a bomb shelter during an air raid.

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