Russian Drone Strikes Hit Odesa Apartments and Lviv Security HQ

Russian drone attacks targeted multiple Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Thursday, causing widespread damage and injuries across the country. In the southern port city of Odesa, drones struck several residential buildings, setting off fires in at least two high-rise apartment complexes and additional homes in the historic city centre. Odesa's military administration chief Serhiy Lysak confirmed that three people were wounded in the assault, two of whom required hospital treatment. Emergency crews responded swiftly, managing to contain the blazes before they spread further. Photographs circulating on social media captured the dramatic sight of upper-floor apartments engulfed in flames, with debris reportedly scattered across central areas of the city.

Odesa, a strategically vital hub for Ukrainian grain and commodity exports along the Black Sea, has endured repeated Russian bombardment since the conflict began over four years ago. Thursday's attack underscores the port city's continued vulnerability as both sides maintain relentless pressure throughout the war.

In western Ukraine, Russian drones also struck the Lviv headquarters of the SBU, Ukraine's domestic security service. Regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi described the damage as significant, noting that drone fragments landed across parts of the city. Meanwhile, in the northern Volyn region, an overnight drone strike on an energy facility left approximately 30,000 households without electricity, highlighting Russia's ongoing strategy of targeting critical civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian forces also mounted their own aerial operations overnight. Russian-controlled Crimea saw 14 Ukrainian drones intercepted near Sevastopol, where falling debris ignited fires with no reported casualties. In Russia's southern Stavropol region, local authorities stated that air defence units successfully repelled a separate Ukrainian drone attack, reflecting the increasingly cross-border nature of the air war between the two nations.