Since the grain deal expired, Russia has repeatedly attacked the port city of Odessa. The destruction in the old town, for example, is enormous. The mayor has a clear message for the Russians.
Amid the rubble of destroyed buildings, a woman sweeps the square in front of the Spaso Preobrazhensky – in German Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa. Saved, colorful icons lean against the thick outer walls and a destroyed chandelier hangs lost in the high, dark room whose windows have been shattered.
Russia began its campaign against Ukraine in Donbass in 2014 – but only since the major invasion 17 months ago have people across the country been attacked with drones and rockets.
Shaded: territories occupied by Russia
“We help everyone affected,” the mayor of Odessa, Hennady Trukhanov, tried to calm the citizens in a video. The mayor then addressed words in the direction of Russia:
And now a few more words in Russian, especially for Russians. If you knew how Odessa hates you. Not only hates, but also despises. They fight against small children, against orthodox churches. What can I say? Their missiles even fly into cemeteries. During this war you will be called racists, orcs, scum. But that’s still way too nice.
Selenskyj speaks of attacks on European culture
Since Russia pulled out of the grain export agreement a week ago, Moscow has slammed the Odessa region with nightly attacks for a week straight. Drones and rockets mainly hit people, but also the port area, granaries and almost 50 buildings in the old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that after the Chinese consulate, the Greek consulate has now also been hit. “We must not allow people around the world to get used to terrorist attacks. The targets of all these missiles are not just cities, villages or people, their target is humanity and the foundations of our entire European culture.”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has published a preliminary list of buildings that were badly damaged by the Russian attacks. Among them the important Transfiguration Cathedral, the House of Scientists, the Tolstoy Art Gallery or the building where the writer Nikolai Gogol lived in 1848.
Destruction at the Cathedral in Odessa
“War is not a humane matter”
Meanwhile, in the south and east of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army is continuing to try to recapture the Russian-held areas. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said that in the past week Ukrainian troops have continued to advance in the south and around Bakhmut.
In the Donetsk region, soldiers train with mountain howitzers from Italy. The discussion about the cluster munitions banned by many countries and supplied by the USA has also reached them. One of the soldiers explains: “What do you mean here, humane or not humane. War is generally not a humane affair. People are killed in war, people die in war. These cluster munitions give us the additional opportunity to end the lack of humanity more quickly.”
Regarding the drones that Russia said were shot down over Moscow early Monday morning, a spokesman for military intelligence said on Ukrainian television only that this shows that Putin no longer controls the sky over the Kremlin. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak explained that Ukraine had nothing to do with it.
Traces of the attacks visible for a long time
It will be a while before civil protection and many people in Odessa have cleared up the rubble from the attacks. There could be another Russian attack next night – Mayor Hennady Trukhanov is under no illusions.
The Russian neighbor Russia, despised by Odessa, has neither values nor morals and no longer has a future:
You don’t know us people from Odessa very well. You won’t break us, just make us even more angry. The strength of our defenders, multiplied by the pain and anger of the common people, will be your death sentence.