Ukrainian officials said the Russian plane launched three hypersonic missiles at a hotel near the port city of Odessa, when the EC President was visiting.
Odessa provincial military government spokesman Sergey Bratchuk on May 9 said military aircraft Russia launched three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at “tourist infrastructure” near the southern Ukrainian port city. Bratchuk said two people were hospitalized after the missile attack, but did not specify the specific objective of the attack.
However, a video released by the Odessa City Council on social media shows that the target of the attack was a hotel in the village of Zatoka, causing the building to be completely destroyed. This is the second hotel in Odessa province to be attacked by Russian forces on May 9, but it is not clear why they chose these targets.
Ukrainian firefighters at a hotel were hit by a Russian hypersonic missile in Zakola, Odessa province on May 9. Video: Odessa City Council.
The Kinzhal hypersonic missile strike took place in the context of European Council President Charles Michel yesterday’s surprise visit to Odessa and meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal. During the meeting, Mr. Michel and the officials in attendance had to go down to the basement hide when the missile hit the Odessa area.
The Army’s Southern Operations Command Ukraine On the same day it was announced that a shopping center in Odessa was hit by seven Russian missiles, injuring one person and killing five.
Russia has not commented on the missile strike in Odessa.
Odessa is the city that owns the largest strategic seaport of Ukraine in the Black Sea, with a population of about one million. This used to be a relatively peaceful place when Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine and was a shelter for Ukrainians evacuated from other regions.
The city of Odessa has been hit by several air raids recently. The Russian Defense Ministry last week confirmed the destruction of a newly built military airstrip in the city and hit a weapons gathering area sent by the US and its allies to Ukraine.
The city is still being blockaded by the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet from the sea. The United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) on May 6 called on all parties to open the seaport in Odessa, Ukraine’s important food export gateway, to ensure global food security.
Location of the city of Odessa, Ukraine. Graphics: Washington Post.
Russia has three times used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to attack targets in neighboring countries in a special military operation aimed at “de-militarization and de-fascistization of Ukraine”. The last time Russia launched Kinzhal missiles was on April 11, at the headquarters of the Ukrainian army near the village of Chasov Yar, Donbass region.
Experts say the Kinzhal missile launches are Russia’s “show of strength” to the West. However, they believe that Russia’s hypersonic missile will not contribute to changing the battlefield situation in Ukraine too much, because it is an expensive and unnecessary weapon to defeat low-value targets. high strategy.
Hypersonic missile is a weapon with a minimum speed of 5 times of sound (Mach 5), equivalent to more than 6,200 km/h. Thanks to their trajectory and speed, hypersonic weapons are more lethal and nearly impossible to intercept with today’s defensive shields.
Nguyen Tien (According to CNN)
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