Deadly Russian strikes rocked the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Wednesday, March 6, during a visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who was holding talks there with President Volodymyr Zelensky. "We heard the sound of sirens and explosions that took place near us. We did not have time to get to a shelter. It is a very intense experience," Mitsotakis said through a translator in Odesa.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the delegations were getting into their vehicles when they heard the blast, which he called a "vivid reminder" that Odesa is gripped by the war with Russia. It is one thing to hear about the war and "quite another to experience war firsthand," Mitsotakis said.
Ukraine's navy told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the attack on port infrastructure killed five people and left an unspecified number wounded. Spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk confirmed the strike came as the Greek delegation was visiting the port with Zelensky.
Russian forces "don't care whether [the targets] are military or civilians, whoever they are, whether they are international guests, these people don't care," Zelensky said.
The Russian defense ministry claimed a strike, on a "hangar in a commercial port area of Odesa in which crewless cutters were being prepared for combat use by the Ukrainian armed forces."
The Russian strikes on Odesa showed the need for US Republicans to stop blocking aid for Kyiv, the White House said. "This strike is yet another reminder of how Russia is continuing to attack Ukraine recklessly every single day, and of Ukraine's urgent needs, in particular, for air defense interceptors," a National Security Council spokesperson said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned what she called the "vile attack" during the Greek visit on X. She called it a "new attempt at terror" by Russia.