Russian forces launched an evening missile attack on the historic center of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaging buildings and injuring two people, local officials said, Reuters reports.
Footage and photographs provided by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Odesa region on Friday (January 31) showed damage to buildings and vehicles and first responders reacting at the scene.
Reuters was able to independently verify the location with the interior decor and design of the buildings that matched file and satellite imagery of the area.
Reuters was able to confirm the date with corroborating multiple eyewitness videos of the area that matched photos and the statement shared by the Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s Telegram.
Pictures posted online showed damage to the Hotel Bristol, a luxury landmark built at the end of the 19th century, as well as fragments strewn on the street near the nearby opulent opera house from the same era.
Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said two people were injured in the attack and taken to hospital.
Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two large explosions had resounded in the city in the early evening.
