Russian missile misses Ukrainian President and Greek Prime Minister in Odesa
Shafaq News/ A Russian missile struck port infrastructure in Odesa, narrowly missing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis by hundreds of meters on Wednesday.
Zelenskiy, known for his high-risk visits to the front lines and hosting world leaders during Ukraine's war with Russia, described the incident as one of the closest calls for him.
"It seems to me that we have not only heard, we have seen this strike today," he said during a joint news conference with Mitsotakis.
Sources told Reuters that the attack occurred at an estimated distance of 500 to 800 meters from the delegations.
According to Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's navy, the intended target was Odesa's port infrastructure. The strike resulted in five casualties.
Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defence Forces, denied any connection between the attack and the leaders' visit, describing Russia as a terrorist continuing to target port infrastructure. "Yes, there was a missile strike on Odesa... However, this is in no way connected to a specific visit," she stated in an interview with U.S.-funded Radio Liberty.
During his first visit to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Mitsotakis emphasized the reality of the ongoing war, recounting hearing sirens and a large explosion during their tour.
Urging European leaders to witness the impact on civilians, Mitsotakis deemed the incident a vivid reminder of the war's severity.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its troops targeted a hangar housing Ukrainian naval drones in the port, achieving their goal at 11:40 a.m. Moscow time.
It is noteworthy that Odesa's port infrastructure has been a consistent target for Russian attacks, intensifying since July when Moscow terminated a U.N.-brokered deal allowing safe passage for Ukrainian grain.
According to a Ukrainian navy commander, Russia has launched over 880 attack drones and 170 missiles on the Odesa region port infrastructure since then.
