Russia attacks Odesa’s historic center with missiles: what was used

Russia launched a missile strike on the city center of Odesa, on the evening of Friday, January 31.

The attack struck a UNESCO-listed historic site, and according to preliminary reports, a bunker-busting missile was used to cause maximum structural damage.

This was reported by Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, during the national telethon "United News".
According to him, three ballistic missiles hit the city center. Emergency services are inspecting the area for fires, and all relevant teams are working at the impact site, beginning to clear the rubble.

He noted that at the time of impact, guests of a nearby hotel were sheltering in a safe area. However, rescuers are currently searching all rooms to ensure that no one was harmed either in the hotel or in the vicinity of the missile debris.

Kiper stated that only 3–5 minutes passed between the air raid warning and the arrival of the missiles. The second and third strikes occurred in nearly the same location, with an interval of 15–17 minutes.

"It seems this is a practiced tactic of theirs. This is not the first time they launch a ballistic missile first, followed by cluster munitions. But in this case, they used a bunker-busting missile. This means the target was a civilian hotel, with the intention of penetrating floors and structural elements to cause maximum destruction and kill civilians inside," the head of the Regional Military Administration explained.

He says that the impact site is in Odesa’s historic center, where almost all buildings are part of UNESCO’s heritage. The missile struck near the Odesa Philharmonic Hall and approximately 500 meters from the Opera House.

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