Russian missile lands near Ukraine’s Zelensky and Greek prime minister during Odesa visit
- The strike occurred near Zelensky’s motorcade, killing five people, though the leaders and officials were unharmed
- The Ukrainian president seized on the attack to reiterate his call to allies for more air defence and long-range weapons
A deadly Russian missile strike hit Odesa close to the location that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were visiting in the southern Ukrainian port city on Wednesday.
“These people don’t care, they have either gone insane or they don’t control what their terroristic army is doing,” Zelensky said about the Russian military during a joint press conference with Mitsotakis in Odesa.
The single-missile strike, which occurred in the morning, killed five people, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing military spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk.
The attack happened as the two leaders were touring the port of Odesa and surveying the damage to its infrastructure, Mitsotakis said, speaking alongside the Ukrainian president. “And shortly after, as we were getting into our cars, we heard a big explosion,” Mitsotakis said.
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The missile landed near Zelensky’s motorcade, which was some 150 metres away from the Greek delegation, without harming officials, Greek website Protothema reported earlier on Wednesday, citing its correspondent, who was present at the site.
The Russian strike drew condemnation from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Russian defence ministry said a hangar was hit in Odesa port, where military naval drones were allegedly stationed for combat deployments.
The port city on the Black Sea is regularly targeted by Russian missiles and drones. Zelensky and Mitsotakis visited the site of the last aerial attack against Odesa which happened on Saturday, when explosive-laden drones destroyed an apartment building in the city, killing 12 people including five children.
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Mitsotakis and Zelensky discussed the operation of the grain export corridor, energy and reconstruction of the country, according to a statement from the Greek premier’s office.
Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s continued backing for Ukraine and firm support for the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic prospects.
Zelensky seized on the attack on Odesa to reiterate his call to allies for more air defence and long-range weapons. Ukraine is increasing its own production of combat drones to offset the deficit of artillery shells, he said.
Greece has supported Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in 2022, providing military and humanitarian aid, as well as training for the country’s pilots to operate F-16 fighter planes.
