Missile strikes kill 21 in Odesa after Ukraine retakes Snake Island
- Deadly missile strikes came a day after Russian troops abandoned their positions on Snake Island, off the coast of Odesa
- The news from the Black Sea came after Nato leaders wrapped up their summit in Madrid and pledged support for Ukraine
Neighbours in the resort village of Serhiivka helped workers comb through the rubble of the nine-storey apartment block, a section of which had been completely destroyed at 1am (local time).
Walls and windows of a neighbouring, 14-storey apartment block had also been damaged by the blast wave. Nearby holiday camps were also hit.
“We came here to the site, assessed the situation together with emergency workers and locals, and together helped those who survived. And those who unfortunately died. We helped to carry them away,” said Oleksandr Abramov, who lives nearby and had rushed to the scene when he heard the blast.
Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa regional administration, said 21 people had been confirmed killed, including a 12-year-old boy. Authorities said earlier 41 people had been rescued from the apartment building where 152 lived.
The regional governor said the Soviet-era missiles had been fired from the direction of the Black Sea.