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Russian forces hold 11 Ukrainian mayors captive and kill one in detention, says Ukrainian minister
The Russian protection ministry on Sunday confirmed a strike on an oil refinery and gas storage services in the important thing Ukrainian port metropolis of Odesa, which has largely been spared the total brunt of Russian assaults for the reason that invasion started in February.
“This morning, high-precision sea and air-based missiles destroyed an oil refinery and three storage services for gas and lubricants close to the town of Odesa, from which gas was provided to the group of Ukrainian troops within the Mykolaiv route,” an announcement on Telegram learn.
Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov stated there have been no casualties following the strike.
“Right this moment the occupiers struck Odesa’s important infrastructure objects with missiles,” Trukhanov stated in televised remarks. “There’s fireplace, there’s smoke. Fortunately, there are not any casualties. Solely buildings are broken. The state of affairs is underneath management.”
Trukhanov stated civilian buildings and personal homes had been broken within the assault.
The mayor additionally speculated that Russia would sooner or later use a contingent of troops stationed in Transnistria — a separatist republic within the neighboring nation of Moldova — echoing considerations beforehand raised by Ukrainian officers.
“After all, sooner or later in the end they’ll use them,” he stated. “It is troublesome to say by which route, however there is a menace. (Ukraine’s Armed Forces) know this and are engaged on this.”
Russian troops stationed in Transnistria will not be recognized to have been concerned in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Some background: A CNN workforce witnessed the aftermath of the strike, which occurred on Sunday morning and despatched thick black clouds of smoke over the town.
A gas depot within the Ukrainian metropolis of Odesa was burning, the CNN workforce on the scene witnessed, with one native telling CNN they heard six explosions on the gas depot earlier than dawn.
Talking concerning the strike, Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman of the Operational Workers of Odesa regional navy administration stated, “One of many important infrastructure objects was hit this this morning.”
“At present the state of affairs is underneath management, the respective companies are engaged on web site. The small print shall be introduced later,” Bratchuk added.
The Odesa Metropolis Council confirmed an air assault on their Telegram account Sunday morning, saying that some Russian missiles had been downed by their air protection system and that fireplace had damaged out in some districts.