Mar 10, 2024,04:48pm EDT
Dispatches from Ukraine: Day 746
National
The attack by Russia on the port city of Odesa on March 2 resulted in the loss of 12 lives, as reported by radio Suspline from the scene. The devastating strike occurred at a multi-story building while residents were asleep. The building was reportedly targeted by multiple drones, causing it to split into two parts. Rescue operations have been ongoing for over 20 hours, with bodies being recovered and efforts made to find survivors. Among the victims was Anna Haidzhari, a mother with a four-month-old baby, who were tragically crushed by rubble while in bed. Anna’s husband, Serhii, and their daughter miraculously survived. Another heartbreaking story involves Oleh and Tetiana Kravets and their 7-month-old daughter, whose bodies were also discovered. Oleh and Tetiana both served in Ukraine’s armed forces, with Oleh being the last remaining son of his parents following the death of his brother in Donbas 10 years ago.
Just three days after this terrorist attack, Odesa faced another strike on its port infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of at least 5 people and more injuries. The missile exploded 500 meters away from the car carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their official visit to Odesa.
Kyriakos described the incident as a stark reminder of the ongoing war, which affects innocent civilians as well as soldiers. The incident raised concerns about Zelenskyy’s safety during his visits to frontline areas and settlements.
As Russia continues to target civilians, Ukrainian sea drones demonstrated their effectiveness by disabling Russia’s advanced Sergey Kotov craft in the Black Sea. The successful strikes carried out by the Ukrainian armed forces dealt a significant blow to Russia’s military capabilities. Sergey Kotov, introduced in 2017, was intended to serve as a platform for air defense missile systems. This marks Ukraine’s third attempt to destroy the ship, with previous tries causing minimal damage.
The International Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Commander Viktor Sokolov of the Russian armed forces on March 5. They are charged with war crimes related to directing attacks on civilian objects, resulting in excessive harm to civilians. The court documents state that Kobylash and Sokolov commanded Moscow’s strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure from October 10, 2022, to March 9, 2023, leading to a blackout winter in 2022 where the population endured 35 days without power.
According to a UNDP report, Kyiv suffered $10 billion in financial damage due to the attacks, with at least 12 million Ukrainians experiencing limited or no access to energy during the winter.
Culture
The Ukraine National Drama Theater allocated over 2.3 million hryvnas for the armed forces during the second round of the Konotop Witch play on March 5. The play, directed by Ivan Uryvsky and based on an 18th-century story by Kvitka-Osnovianenko, aims to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The production raised funds for the purchase of drones for the armed forces and sheds light on the decline of the Cossacks reign.