Russian ballistic strike on Odesa kills 2, wounds 2 amid air raids

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press
ODESA, UKRAINE — Russian forces struck Odesa with ballistic missiles on the evening of 8 July, killing two people and injuring two others as attacks continued across southern Ukraine.

Local officials said infrastructure was damaged in the strike, while emergency teams worked at the scene to extinguish fires and clear the aftermath. The attack came on a day marked by Russian drone and bomb strikes in Mykolaiv region and a Ukrainian Air Force claim that a Russian Su-35 fighter jet had been shot down on the eastern front.

Ballistic missiles hit Odesa

Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at Odesa on Wednesday evening, according to local authorities. Serhiy Lysak, head of the Odesa City Military Administration, said the city had been attacked and that infrastructure was damaged.

He reported that two people were killed and two others were injured. Among the wounded were a 32-year-old man in serious condition and a 68-year-old man whose condition was described as moderate.

Lysak also warned residents that the air alert was still continuing and urged people to remain in safe places. The warning reflected the ongoing risk of follow-up strikes, which Ukrainian officials frequently caution can occur after the first explosions.

Vehicles caught fire after the strike

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, said the missile strike caused fires involving trucks, passenger cars and a route minibus. He said the fire had been localized after emergency crews arrived at the scene.

Rescue workers, police, medics and other relevant services continued working in the affected area after the strike. Their tasks included extinguishing the remaining fire, assessing structural damage and documenting the consequences of the attack.

Odesa, a key Black Sea city with important port and transport infrastructure, has repeatedly been targeted by Russian missiles and drones throughout the war. Ukrainian officials say attacks on the city often endanger both civilian areas and logistical infrastructure.

Mykolaiv also faced Shahed drone attacks

The Odesa strike occurred during a broader wave of Russian attacks across southern Ukraine. In Mykolaiv, explosions were reported after monitoring channels warned that a Russian Shahed-type attack drone was moving toward the city.

According to local reports, the drone was heading toward the Namyv and Liski districts. Residents later reported hearing explosions, while preliminary information suggested that Ukrainian air defence units were engaging the target.

Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, later said that, according to the latest information about the Shahed attack, there were no casualties or damage at that stage. His statement indicated that air defence activity had helped prevent further consequences in the city.

Mother and daughter killed in Mykolaiv region

Earlier on 8 July, Russian forces also struck the Horokhove community in the Bashtanka district of Mykolaiv region. Police said the attack was preliminarily carried out with guided aerial bombs.

A 38-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter were killed. Another daughter, a 13-year-old girl, was injured. In a separate settlement within the same community, a 39-year-old local resident was also wounded.

The injured were hospitalized. Officials described their condition as serious but stable.

The attack damaged private residential houses, a school building and power lines. Some local consumers were left without electricity as a result of the strike.

Police document suspected war crime

Police in Mykolaiv region said investigators were documenting the consequences of the attack as part of a criminal investigation under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which covers violations of the laws and customs of war.

Investigators from the department dealing with crimes committed during armed conflict, explosives specialists and an investigative team from the Bashtanka district police department worked at the scene.

Police said they were collecting physical evidence and recording the damage caused by what they described as another war crime committed by the aggressor state.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of striking civilian areas, homes, schools and energy infrastructure. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but repeated attacks on residential communities have led to widespread destruction and civilian casualties across Ukraine.

Ukraine says it downed a Russian Su-35

On the same day, the Ukrainian Air Force said that a Russian Su-35 multirole fighter jet had been shot down on the eastern front.

The Su-35 is one of Russia’s most advanced combat aircraft. It is described as a “4++ generation” multirole fighter and can carry a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons. Russia uses the aircraft in operations against Ukraine, including missions linked to missile and guided bomb attacks.

Ukrainian sources estimate the cost of a Su-35 at around $100 million. If confirmed, the loss would represent a significant blow to Russian aviation assets.

The Ukrainian Air Force did not immediately provide detailed information about the circumstances of the shootdown, including the exact location or the weapon system used.

Southern Ukraine remains under pressure

The attacks on Odesa and Mykolaiv show the continued pressure on Ukraine’s southern regions. Odesa remains strategically important because of its Black Sea position, ports and transport links. Mykolaiv is also regularly targeted due to its location near southern front-line areas and its role in Ukraine’s regional defence.

Russia has used a mix of ballistic missiles, guided aerial bombs and Shahed-type drones to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. This combination forces Ukrainian air defence units to respond to different threats at the same time.

Ballistic missiles are especially difficult to intercept because of their high speed. Guided aerial bombs also pose a serious threat, particularly to communities within range of Russian tactical aviation.

Air defence remains Ukraine’s urgent need

The latest strike on Odesa again underlines Ukraine’s demand for stronger air defence systems. Kyiv has repeatedly asked partners for more Patriot systems and interceptors, arguing that they are among the few tools capable of stopping ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian officials say that delays in air defence support increase the risk to civilians and critical infrastructure. The need is especially urgent in cities such as Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv and other areas that remain frequent targets of Russian attacks.

As emergency crews continued working in Odesa and Mykolaiv region, Ukrainian authorities urged residents to respond quickly to air raid alerts and remain in shelters during periods of danger.

The evening attack on Odesa, the deadly guided bomb strike in Mykolaiv region and the reported downing of a Russian Su-35 all point to the intensity of the war across multiple fronts: civilians remain under fire, air defence units are under constant pressure, and both sides continue to fight for control of the skies.

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