An air alert was announced in Odessa and the region at 12:03 p.m., the mayor of the city, Gennady Trukhanov, announced in the Telegram application. Local authorities called on the population to take shelter in safe places, BTA quoted.
Minutes after the alarm was announced, local channels in Telegram reported an explosion in the area and a hit target. Official confirmation is awaited.
The threat of a missile attack remains.
Bulgarians in Odesa Region number over 150,000 people and are the third largest according to the official census in Ukraine in 2001. In the city of Odesa itself live about 50-60 thousand Bulgarians. The largest compact Bulgarian population is concentrated in Bolgrad, Izmail and Belgorod-Dniester regions.