Russia strikes multi-story apartment building in Odesa, injuring at least 12

On September 12, Russian forces launched an overnight attack on a multi-story residential building in Odesa, as reported by local authorities. The strike, carried out by Russian drones, resulted in at least 12 people sustaining injuries, according to Serhiy Lysak, head of the Odesa City Military Administration. Emergency response teams from Odesa were dispatched to provide assistance to the injured individuals at the scene.

Witnesses captured footage of the building, which sustained significant damage, with multiple floors impacted and on fire, while debris littered the streets below.

The Ukrainian Air Force cautioned that Shahed drones remained active in the region following the strike. The extent of the damage inflicted by the attack was not immediately evident. Earlier on the same day, Russia carried out another attack in Zaporizhzhia, which tragically claimed the lives of two individuals. Despite a brief lull in hostilities during the visits of American envoys to Kyiv for discussions on ending the conflict in early September, Russia has persisted in launching assaults on Ukrainian cities.

The Ukrainian government has been grappling with a dire shortage of air defense systems while attempting to defend its capital, Kyiv.

Earlier in the week, on September 11, Russian attacks across Ukraine claimed the lives of at least nine people and left 145 others injured. The assault on a shopping center in Pavlohrad, located in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, resulted in five fatalities and at least 67 injuries. President Volodymyr Zelensky has persistently implored foreign allies to bolster Ukraine's air defenses.

During a visit to Canada, Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a declaration establishing a 100-year partnership on September 10. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in defense, energy, technology, trade, and reconstruction efforts.