(NewsWorthy.news) – Russia launched a ballistic missile attack against homes and another missile that struck first responders in Odessa, killing at least 20 people. The attack on March 15 was carried out as Russians began voting in the presidential election.
The election resulted in a record landslide victory for President Vladimir Putin. Former UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary David Cameron commented on X that there was no choice for voters or independent monitoring and criticized the Kremlin’s “illegal” holding of elections in occupied Ukrainian territory. Those killed in the missile attack included an emergency service worker and a paramedic. At least 73 others were injured and at least ten houses were damaged by the Iskander-M missiles according to officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy branded the attack “vile.” According to local authorities, the bombardments also struck ambulances and a gas pipeline. Witness Maria Slyzovska said the first strike rocked her mother’s house and left “everything broken” before the second missile strike. She described life in the city as “Russian roulette.” City officials stated that the missiles were launched from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces launched a double-tap strike on the port city, with the second missile hitting rescue workers after they arrived at the scene. Presidential aide Andriy Yermak suggested that the “terror” in Odessa displayed Russia’s weakness, stating that the Kremlin was fighting civilians in Ukraine when it could not guarantee security for people in its own territory.
Ukraine has been carrying out attacks deep inside Russia using combat drones. Though he could not name a specific attack, Zelenskyy claimed the operations highlighted Russian weak points. On March 15 three oil facilities were set ablaze in drone attacks in Russia’s Samara region. After securing an election victory, Putin announced plans to set up a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect Russia against long-range missiles and raids across the border.
Kiper announced a day of mourning in Odessa, which is the second such observance in under a fortnight. A multi-story building in the city was struck by a drone at the beginning of March. The attack killed 12 civilians, including five children.
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