Nearly 15 drones carried out a massive attack over the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa and the surrounding area, the city's mayor Gennady Trukhanov announced on the Telegram app. According to local channels, black smoke is visible in the sky, and powerful explosions echo in the city, BTA reports.
There has been damage to various objects. Regional authorities immediately called on residents to take shelter in bomb shelters. The air raid alert was announced at 11:56 a.m., and the attack has been going on for more than an hour.
Over 150,000 Bulgarians live in the Odessa region, making them the third largest ethnic group according to the 2001 census in Ukraine. It is estimated that between 50,000 and 60,000 Bulgarians live in the city of Odessa alone. The largest compact Bulgarian communities are in the Bolgrad, Izmail, and Belgorod-Dniester regions.