A Russian missile attack hit civilian infrastructure in Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa on Friday (March 15), killing at least 16 people and wounding 55 in Moscow's deadliest attack in weeks, Ukrainian officials said, Reuters reports.
Russia has stepped up its strikes on the southern city in recent weeks, launching drones or missiles almost every day.
"The number of victims of Russian missile attack rose to 16 people. 55 more people with injuries are in the hospital," Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said on the Telegram messaging app.
The medic and rescuer were killed by a second missile after rushing to the scene to treat people hurt in the initial strike, Kiper added.
Ten private houses, a low pressure gas pipeline and rescue vehicles were damaged in the attack, emergency services said.
Rescuers battled to put out fires on the pipeline and in a private house over a total area of about 120 square meters.
Odesa, one of Ukraine's biggest ports, has long been a target of Russian attacks, especially after Moscow quit a U.N.-brokered deal that had allowed safe passage for Ukrainian grain shipments via the Black Sea.
Moscow denies targeting civilians in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine which it launched in February 2022, although many have been killed in frequent Russian air strikes across the country.
The governor of Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said on Friday (March 15) that one person had been killed in shelling of the area by Kyiv's forces.
Reuters was able to confirm the location by buildings and road layout seen in the video which matched satellite and file imagery of the area.
