kyiv. Russia launched three waves of drones and missiles overnight at the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa, authorities said Monday, though the Ukrainian air force claims to have intercepted all the aerial missiles used.
Debris from the 15 Shahed drones and eight intercepted Kalibr missiles damaged a residential building, a supermarket and a dormitory at an educational center in the city, Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper said.
Two supermarket employees were hospitalized, Kiper added. Video showed a large fire in the store overnight and the next day, as well as charred and vandalized remains of the building.
For his part, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodimyr Zelensky, chided critics who say Kiev’s counteroffensive aimed at pushing back Kremlin forces should move more quickly.
The Ukrainian military has no intention of engaging in a series of conspicuous “large-scale battles” against the Russians as it progresses, Podolyak said on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
The objective, he asserted, is the gradual and systematic destruction of “the capabilities of the enemy army: its logistics, technical potential, officers and personnel.”
Meanwhile, the Netherlands dispatched two F-16 fighter jets early Monday after two Russian bombers were tracked flying into Dutch airspace.
“This does not happen often, but today’s incident demonstrates the importance of rapid deployment,” the Dutch Defense Ministry said. “The F-16s are ready 24 hours a day and can take off in minutes and intercept an unidentified aircraft.”
Danish F-16s identified the Russian planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, but the bombers did not enter Danish airspace, according to the Danish air force.
British and German fighter jets were deployed in mid-March to intercept a Russian plane flying near Estonian airspace. The day before, the United States said a Russian warplane had collided with a US surveillance drone over the Black Sea.
Russia insisted that its warplanes did not hit the MQ-9 Reaper drone, arguing that the drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water. The back-to-back incidents raised concerns about air clashes near Russia and Ukraine.
Kremlin forces have attacked Odessa since Russia last month broke a wartime agreement to protect crucial grain exports from Ukraine. The Russian attacks appear to be aimed at facilities that transport grain and also at destroying precious Ukrainian historical sites.
The historic deal brokered by the UN and Turkey allowed the flow of grain from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia to resume and help reduce the threat of famine.
Russia has since declared large areas of the Black Sea unsafe for shipping. On Sunday, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea.
Zelensky visits Donietsk
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodimyr Zelensky said on Monday that he had visited the eastern front in the Donietsk region to meet with Ukrainian troops fighting the counteroffensive against the Russian army.
“I visited the 22nd brigade” and “we discussed with the commander the problems that the soldiers have and proposals to solve them,” the president wrote on Telegram.
