Russian attack kills three in Odesa and sets a warehouse of food for schools ablaze, a day before Abu Dhabi peace talks

On 9 November, a Russian attack on Odesa claimed the lives of two women and a man, causing a warehouse storing food for kindergartens and schools to catch fire, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper. A hospitalized woman and three injured men, aged 41 and 46, rounded out the casualties, bringing the total to three. This strike occurred just a day before US-mediated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia commenced in Abu Dhabi, the first trilateral round since February.

Russia has been repeatedly targeting civilian supply sites in Odesa Oblast, possibly to weaken Ukraine prior to the talks.

The attack commenced in the morning, with Odesa City Military Administration Head Serhii Lysak confirming the three fatalities shortly after. While Ukraine's Air Force had issued a warning about a jet-powered drone heading towards Odesa from the north, the weapon used to hit the warehouse remained unidentified. On the same day, a logistics company in Odesa Oblast suffered its third strike, damaging its equipment without affecting anyone, Kiper reported.

The day before, Russian forces had struck the same food warehouse twice, igniting a significant blaze. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire. Earlier on 8 November, an attack on a two-story house in Odesa Oblast resulted in a fire that required rescuers to save two individuals. Subsequently, another Russian strike damaged several houses and a man suffered minor injuries from window and roof damage, Lysak stated.

Odesa Oblast has faced repeated Russian assaults targeting civilian infrastructure, including warehouses, a home-improvement store, and a farm. Russia's strategy reportedly focuses on hampering Ukraine's civilian economy before the Abu Dhabi talks, which are set to include a proposed summit between Trump, Putin, and Xi.