On April 29, for the first time, Russian forces attacked Odesa with an Iskander-M ballistic missile carrying a cluster warhead. The missile reaches a preset point and explodes in the air. After the warhead bursts, submunitions scatter over the surrounding area. Missile debris and metal fragments were found within a radius of one and a half kilometers from the impact site. Eight people and a dog were killed, and 32 people were injured.
We collect facts about Russia’s crimes against the environment of Odesa and Odesa Oblast during the war: environmental pollution caused by explosions and damage to infrastructure, contamination of air, water and soil with toxic substances, destruction of ecosystems in protected areas and internationally important conservation areas, and more. We will update the information regularly, so please send known facts to: zeleniy.list1@gmal.com
05.04.2024
During the night, the enemy attacked Ukraine with 13 Shahed-131/136 UAVs. All of them were shot down in the operational area of the Southern Defense Forces — in Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
In Odesa Oblast, the enemy again targeted energy infrastructure. During about half an hour of combat operations, all four drones were shot down.
06.04.2024
The Russian army struck port infrastructure in Odesa with a ballistic missile. One person was injured and several buildings were damaged.
Russian forces likely used an Iskander-M missile, the military said on the Telegram channel of the Southern Defense Forces.
“The strike caused a fire, which firefighters quickly extinguished. Administrative and technical buildings were damaged. An employee of one of the nearby enterprises was injured and suffered acoustic trauma,” the statement said.
Environmental inspectors calculated the damage caused by this attack on Odesa port infrastructure at more than UAH 49 million.
The missile strike damaged an administrative building at an infrastructure facility as well as a transport pipeline. State inspectors surveyed the attack site and found debris contamination over a total land area of 580 square meters. They also recorded petroleum-product contamination over almost 45 square meters, with damages estimated at UAH 1.5 million.
19.04.2024
The April 19 missile attack on Odesa Oblast damaged port infrastructure and injured one man, who was taken to hospital with shrapnel wounds, Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper reported.
Russia carried out a ballistic strike on a Singaporean agro-industrial enterprise at Pivdennyi Port that specialized in producing and transshipping vegetable oils. The attack destroyed 10 tanks containing finished products and 10,000 tonnes of vegetable oil. The vegetable-oil transshipment terminal and other production equipment were also damaged.
“Metal fragments and combustion products contaminated a land area of more than 500 square meters, causing nearly UAH 37 million in damages. Land plots covering more than 3,000 square meters were also contaminated with vegetable oil, with damages estimated at UAH 20.2 million,” the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District reported.
21.04.2024
Odesa Oblast came under another missile attack, targeting a transport and logistics facility within port infrastructure. The blast wave and missile fragments damaged private homes on three streets of the city.
Following an inspection, state inspectors identified contamination of land with metal fragments and construction waste over more than 6,000 square meters; damages were estimated at nearly UAH 311 million.
23.04.2024
Explosions were heard in Odesa at around 2 a.m. on April 23 as the Russian army attacked Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 strike drones.
According to Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper, the Russian-launched drones damaged residential buildings and caused fires.
State Emergency Service personnel rescued 34 people. Nine people were injured, including four children. Two were aged 12 and 9, while the other two were under one year old. All four children and three adults were hospitalized in moderate condition.
24.05.2024
At 7 a.m., the enemy launched a missile strike on Odesa. The Southern Defense Forces said Russian forces were trying to locate military infrastructure in the rear. There were no fatalities, and no military personnel were at the strike site.
A 43-year-old woman was injured and taken to hospital in moderate condition. About 30 homes were damaged by the blast wave: windows and glass were shattered, and ceilings collapsed in some residences.
The morning attack on Odesa damaged overhead power lines, DTEK reported. Some homes in the city’s Khadzhibei District temporarily lost electricity. Long-distance and suburban trains were delayed, Odesa Railway reported.
By 6:30 p.m., electricity and water supplies had been restored in Odesa, Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said.
29.04.2024
Russian forces struck one of the most popular places among Odesa residents and visitors — the Health Route, where people walk with children and dogs and exercise.
Odesa was struck with an Iskander ballistic missile carrying a cluster warhead. Missile debris and metal fragments were found within a radius of one and a half kilometers from the impact site. Such munitions are designed primarily to strike personnel and pose a threat above all to people rather than equipment or buildings. The strike damaged civilian infrastructure and residential buildings, including the so-called “Harry Potter Castle,” an estate illegally built on the coast by former MP Serhii Kivalov. He was injured and hospitalized.
Eight people were killed, including Borys Vasyliev, vice-rector of the International Humanitarian University. A dog was also killed. Thirty-two people were injured, 25 of whom were hospitalized, including two children and a pregnant woman. A girl not yet five years old was taken to hospital in extremely serious condition. Sadly, after a month of doctors fighting for her life, she died.
30.04.2024
Three people were killed and three others injured in the Russian attack on Odesa on the evening of April 30, Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper reported. Missiles launched by the Russian army from temporarily occupied Crimea damaged administrative and residential buildings as well as medical and educational facilities, the Southern Defense Forces said. Among the damaged buildings was the regional office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
Russian forces attacked Odesa with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Illia Yevlash said during the United News telethon.
“As we can see, the enemy has chosen Odesa as a key target, just as it previously attacked and continues to attack Kharkiv. This time it struck densely populated areas of the city with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, resulting in deaths and injuries,” the Air Force spokesperson said.