At least three people were injured, according to preliminary reports.
The strikes came just hours after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Odesa alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Appearing at a joint press conference, Rutte condemned Russia’s repeated air assaults on Ukrainian civilian targets as “simply outrageous” and part of a “horrifying pattern” of attacks.
Click on the player icon above for an audio report by Marcin Matuszewski on Mark Rutte's visit and his talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russian forces have been using between dozens and over a hundred long-range drones daily in attacks across Ukraine. Several Ukrainian regions sounded bomb alerts overnight as the latest wave of aerial strikes unfolded.
NATO’s support for Ukraine
Rutte and Zelensky’s visit to Odessa included a stop at a local hospital treating wounded Ukrainian defenders, where they spoke with injured soldiers and medical staff. During the visit, Zelenskiy presented awards to service members and doctors.
Rutte pledged ongoing support from the alliance for Ukraine. “NATO support is unwavering. We will continue to help Ukraine so it can defend today and deter future aggression, ensuring a just and lasting peace,” he wrote on Twitter.
Zelensky, also addressing the overnight attacks, reiterated that Odessa remains a frequent Russian target—though it is not under direct Russian control—due to its critical role as a port city on the Black Sea.
Russia threatens further escalation
Meanwhile, in mid-March, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that President Vladimir Putin demands international recognition of Moscow’s claimed annexations of Ukrainian territories.
According to the paper, Putin has threatened to escalate attacks on Odessa if these demands are not met.
Russia currently occupies parts of Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and unilaterally declared the annexation of the entire territories, along with the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in the fall of 2022.
It previously annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014—moves unrecognized by the international community.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Kyiv Post