Attack on Odesa: Russia destroys Lanzheron beach and hits lyceum

Russian forces damaged facilities on Lanzheron beach and struck the Odesa Vocational Lyceum of Construction and Architecture during an attack on Odesa on 13 January.

The information was reported by local Telegram channels and confirmed by the head of the educational institution, Ihor Chernenko, in comments to the Novyny.Live.

Videos shared on social media show destroyed structures on Lanzheron beach in Odesa’s Prymorskyi district, an area widely regarded as one of the city’s landmarks.

The lyceum was also hit in the attack. Chernenko said that security staff who were inside the building at the time took shelter, meaning there were no casualties.

“Only the guards were there. They heard the strike and went down to the shelter. From there, they called me saying everything was collapsing and debris was flying everywhere. No one was hurt, thank God,” the lyceum director said.

The lyceum sustained extensive damage in the attack

“Almost all the windows on both the facade and the courtyard side were blown out. Only six windows remain intact — around 200 in total. Ceilings were damaged in every classroom. The worst damage is on the second, administrative floor, where a wall was breached. A fire broke out and firefighters are still extinguishing it. The accounting office and archive were destroyed, and about half of the administrative floor was burned,” Chernenko said.

Firefighting efforts flooded the building, including the first and second floors and the basement, which houses the shelter. Heating was shut off after pipes were damaged.

“We had to turn off the heating because the heating system was damaged, as well as most of the electricity and the water supply. We will now try to restore what we can and partially reopen the building. All staff have been asked to help with the clean-up. Students will be switched to remote learning, and this school day will be rescheduled for another time slot,” the director said.

The adtermath of the January 13 attack on Odesa: what is known.

Kamikaze drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on January 13, causing heavy damage in the city centre, authorities said. Residential buildings as well as education and healthcare facilities, including a school, kindergarten and hospital, were hit.

Fires broke out at a fitness centre, a lyceum and a newly built residential building. Five people were hospitalised and 14 others sought psychological assistance. Authorities set up support centres at the impact sites.

The attack seriously damaged two energy facilities operated by DTEK, leaving about 47,000 households without power. Restoring electricity supplies will take time due to the scale of the damage.