Chinese consulate damaged by Russian strike in port city of Odesa: Reports

The Chinese consulate in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa has been damaged in the overnight strike by the Russian forces. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor confirmed the attack, saying Russia was 'deliberately' hitting the port infrastructure.

"As a result of the Russian night attack, the building of the consulate general of the People’s Republic of China in Odesa was damaged," Kiper said on Telegram.

"The aggressor deliberately hits the port infrastructure. Administrative and residential buildings, as well as the consulate of the People’s Republic of China, were damaged. This suggests that the enemy does not pay attention to anything," he added.

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The Chinese side is yet to comment on the issue. But a stern reaction is highly unlikely as ever since the war broke out, China has refused to publicly discourage Russia. Meanwhile, senior officials have often expressed direct support saying Beijing acknowledges “legitimate and reasonable security concerns”.

Strikes in Mykolaiv and Odesa port cities

After the third consecutive day of strikes battered the port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered condolences to the victims. Reports stated that two people were killed while 27 were injured in the overnight attacks by Moscow.

“Odesa. Mykolaiv. Russian terrorists continue their attempts to destroy the life of our country. But the evil state has no missiles that are more powerful than our will to save lives, support each other and win," said Zelensky.

Watch: Ukrainian president aide admits counteroffensive will take long

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The Ukrainian air force said early Thursday that at least eight Russian Tu-22M3 aircraft were "flying in the direction of the Black Sea."

Ukraine, which reclaimed much of the territory last September, warned this week that Russia was again on the attack in the region, with "heavy fighting" taking place.

Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said that Russian forces also launched strikes on military-industrial sites, a fuel and ammunition store in Odesa, and a Ukrainian Air Force air base in the Kirovogradska region.

The strikes intensified after Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, leading to an exponential rise in wheat prices globally. While the wheat remains stuck in Ukrainian ports, the Russian side has started "deliberately targeting the grain deal infrastructure", according to Zelensky.

Experts argue that the domino effect will be reflected in global inflation which had calmed down after a long time.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)

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