Norwegian diplomats were present in an Odesa district that came under attack on 31 January, Norway’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday.

Russian forces hit historical centre part of Odesa with ballistic missles on 31 January, injuring seven people.

The attack damaged The Bristol Hotel, a prominent architectural landmark in the city center.

Zelenskyy said that “Norwegian diplomatic representatives were in the blast epicenter,” probably in the hotel.

“We can confirm that there has been a major attack in Odesa this evening (on 31 January) against an area where Norwegian embassy personnel were present,” said Andreas Bjørklund
Communications Counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to NRK.

The Norwegian officials are now in a secure location, the ministry said.

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