On Sunday, the death toll resulting from a Russian drone strike that obliterated an apartment block in Odesa, a southern port city in Ukraine, climbed to 10. This tragic incident occurred the day before, and a local official disclosed that the body of a third child, along with that of the child's mother, was discovered amid the rubble. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies to enhance Ukraine's air defenses in the aftermath of this devastating attack.
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| Image - A drone's perspective captures rescue crews at the scene of a residential building in Odesa, Ukraine, severely hit by a Russian drone strike on March 2, 2024. The attack claimed lives as part of Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine. Credit - Reuters |
Ukraine's interior ministry reported on Sunday that rescue workers had recovered the remains of a woman and an infant that morning. A poignant detail emerged from a Telegram post on the ministry's official channel, describing how the mother had attempted to shield her 8-month-old child with her own body, resulting in both being found in a firm embrace. Tragically, on Saturday, authorities had already reported the death of another baby due to debris from an Iranian-made drone hitting the apartment building, one of eight Russian drones identified by officials. Subsequently, President Zelenskyy revealed the loss of a second child and appealed to Kyiv's Western partners for additional air defense systems.
Zelenskyy, expressing condolences on X (formerly Twitter), shared the ages of the deceased children, emphasizing the urgency of delivering essential weapons and air defense to prevent further losses. As rescue efforts continued in Odesa, where four more individuals were feared trapped, the local governor declared a day of mourning for the victims.
Regrettably, additional casualties were reported elsewhere in Ukraine, with a 58-year-old man succumbing to rubble after Russian forces shelled his village in the Kherson province, and a 38-year-old civilian killed in a Russian artillery strike in the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region.
Amidst the turmoil, reports emerged of loud explosions near an oil depot in Russian-occupied Crimea, with videos suggesting significant damage. An anti-Russian underground group, Atesh, claimed the destruction of a pipeline, but Kyiv authorities did not immediately acknowledge or comment on these claims.
Further developments included the closure of a Russian federal highway near Feodosia and the suspension of traffic on a bridge connecting Crimea to Russian territory. While Russia's defense ministry did not comment on these reports, they asserted intercepting 38 Ukrainian drones over the peninsula.
In Moscow, China's special envoy on Ukraine engaged in talks with senior Russian diplomats, emphasizing the necessity of negotiations to end the conflict. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan advocated for a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, urging a separation of the ceasefire issue from the recognition of Russia's occupation in parts of Ukraine during a diplomatic forum in Antalya.
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