In the Thursday evening and overnight hours Russia continued to pound Ukraine's key Black Sea port city of Odesa, which was widely described as one of the biggest single drone attacks visited on the city since the war's start.
At least three locals were injured in the attack, and large fires resulted, importantly just as Czech President Petr Pavel was in Odesa on Thursday, after which he traveled back to Kiev.
Odesa's regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram, "Significantly, it was during our meeting that the enemy once again massively attacked the Odesa region" - in reference to meeting with President Pavel.
"The long-range drones buzzed into the city in several waves, damaging infrastructure, residential houses and commercial buildings, and causing multiple fires, the interior ministry said," as cited in Reuters. "Around 25 cars had been set ablaze at a car repair shop."
The Czech president is in Ukraine where he's presenting a deal to provide over one million artillery shells for Ukraine's war effort against Russia.
Reuters has quoted one Ukrainian source who called the attack the "most massive" assault on Odesa since Russia invaded in February 2022: "It was intimidation. Terror against the civilian population." And Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine’s Reconstruction wrote the following on Telegram:
"I am pleased to welcome Czech President Petr Pavel to Ukraine. We met in the city of Odesa, which is terrorised by Russia every night. It was during our meeting that the Russian Federation launched three groups of Shahed drones on the city. The entire civilized world must witness Russia's crimes against Ukraine."
While the key southern port city has come under occasional major missile attack since the war's start, it has thus far been sparred of full-scale military invasion. But there might be preparations as the city has now been hit several times this week alone.
One year ago (in March of 2024), Elon Musk predicted that Odessa would become the next big city Russian forces would eye after solidification of their hold over the Donbass region.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO explained at the time that Ukraine's position continued to weaken even as its leadership refused negotiations while pressing the West for more weapons. "Whether Ukraine loses all access to the Black Sea or not is, in my view, the real remaining question," he stressed in his commentary posted on X.
"The longer the war goes on, the more territory Russia will gain until they hit the Dnepr, which is tough to overcome. However, if the war lasts long enough, Odessa will fall too," Musk wrote at the time.
And that's when he concluded, "Whether Ukraine loses all access to the Black Sea or not is, in my view, the real remaining question. I recommend a negotiated settlement before that happens."
The White House now says it is busy working on that, with the next meeting between American and Russian negotiators set for Monday in Saudi Arabia.
