Russia strikes Odesa hours before Putin-Lukashenko summit

The Ukrainian port city of Odesa came under renewed Russian missile attack early Sunday, just hours before President Vladimir Putin was due to hold a summit with his staunch Belarus ally Alexander Lukashenko.

At the meeting in Saint Petersburg, the pair plan to discuss the "strategic partnership and alliance" between their countries, according to the Kremlin.

It will be the first time they have met since Lukashenko helped end a dramatic mutiny by Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group.

Hours before their meeting, Russian strikes targeted Odesa, which has been bombed several times since the start of the invasion.

"Unfortunately, we have one civilian killed as a result of the nighttime terrorist attack by Russians on Odesa," regional governor Oleg Kiper said on Telegram.

Earlier he had reported "18 victims, including four children", in a Russian attack at 3:00 am (0000 GMT).

"Fourteen people were hospitalised in the city's hospitals, three of them were children," he said.

Ukraine's Southern Operational Command said Odesa was targeted with at least five types of missile, including Kalibr cruise missiles.

"Air defence forces destroyed a significant amount of the missiles," it said.

"The rest caused damage to port infrastructure," and several buildings, it said, adding that a missile had hit the Orthodox cathedral in the city centre.

The Orthodox Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa was damaged, according to a video posted by city hall on its Telegram channel.

Nineteen people were wounded in the overnight attack, including four children, the army reported.

The strategic port has come under repeated attack since Moscow pulled out of a grain export deal last week.

Agence France-Presse