"Newlywed Couple Killed in Russian Drone Strike on Ukraine’s Southern Port City of Odesa" – At Least 17 Others Injured

"Newlywed Couple Killed in Russian Drone Strike on Ukraine’s Southern Port City of Odesa" – At Least 17 Others Injured
[Odesa, Ukraine — June 29, 2025] —
A Russian drone strike on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa has killed a newlywed couple and injured at least 17 others, local authorities confirmed. Among the injured are three children.

The attack occurred late Saturday night. According to Ukraine’s emergency services, a drone struck a residential building, causing three floors to collapse and trapping many residents under the rubble. Rescue operations continued throughout the night to safely extract those trapped.

Oleh Kiper, the governor of the Odesa region, stated that the deceased husband and wife lived in an apartment within the building. He added,
“This attack has deeply affected not only our infrastructure but also the very fabric of our families and social structure.”

As of now, no official response has been issued by Moscow regarding the strike. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that more than 40 Ukrainian drones were shot down between Friday night and Saturday morning, most of which targeted western Russia and the Russian-occupied Crimea region.

Now entering its fourth year, the Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly being defined by drone warfare. Military analysts note that both sides are engaged in a race to develop more advanced, long-range, and destructive drone technologies. The battlefield has effectively become a real-time testing ground for modern weapons systems.

Several international human rights organizations have strongly condemned attacks on civilian areas. They have renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, warning that failure to protect civilians will only deepen the ongoing humanitarian crisis.