“We were investing for 17 years. Everything burned down”: Russian attack on Ukraine causes extreme damage to civilians

Russian forces conducted a massive attack on different Ukrainian regions on the night of 20 March, injuring civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure.

Russian forces target Ukrainian cities and villages almost daily using various weapons systems, including strike drones, missiles, guided bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems.

While Ukrainian authorities and international organizations characterize these strikes as deliberate war crimes targeting civilian infrastructure, Russian leadership consistently denies intentionally attacking civilian targets such as hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and utility facilities.

Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 114 Russian Iranian-designed Shahed-type strike drones during an overnight attack on 20-21 March, while another 81 simulator drones failed to reach their targets.

The attack, which involved a total of 214 UAVs launched from multiple Russian locations and occupied Crimea, resulted in damage to the Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv oblasts. 

Russian attack injured three in Odesa 

In Odesa, a drone strike resulted in three injuries, including minors, and caused widespread damage to civilian structures. The attack triggered fires at multiple locations and led to power outages across three districts.

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, reported that authorities issued warnings about potential drone strikes at 20:40 local time, with explosions subsequently heard in the southern parts of the city.

“There is damage to civilian infrastructure, including a residential high-rise building, a shopping center, and shops,” Kiper stated in his assessment of the aftermath.

Emergency response was substantial, with the State Emergency Service (SES) deploying more than 70 rescuers, 5 volunteers, and 23 equipment units overnight.

The owner of the burned-out car service station, Inna, told Suspilne Odesa news about the damage she faced:

“A lot of cars, equipment, computers were destroyed. I haven’t counted the damage yet. We’ve been developing and investing for 17 years. Everything burned down. Everything disappeared in a moment, nothing is left,” Inna said.

Czech President Petr Pavel was in Odesa for an official visit on 20 March when the Russian forces launched the attack on the city.

Pavel himself announced the visit on his X account:

“I came to Odesa, Ukraine, which has been resisting Russian aggression since the beginning of the war. […] Together with the leadership of Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson oblasts, we discussed further direct support for regions that are directly on the front line,” the Czech president wrote.

Discussions with Pavel focused on maritime security, Ukraine’s reconstruction, and the development of Ukrainian communities.

Russian strike injures six in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

The number of casualties from a Russian aerial strike on Zaporizhzhia district has risen to six, with a 4-year-old boy among those injured, according to regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov.

Fedorov reported that “air bombs destroyed two and damaged three private houses, as well as structures on the territory of a dacha cooperative.” He confirmed that fires erupted at the impact sites and that victims had received necessary assistance.

One 60-year-old man remains in the hospital, wounded as a result of the attack. Doctors assess his condition as moderate.

Recovery operations continue as local authorities work to address the aftermath of the attack.

Sumy Oblast attack

Russian forces struck three different locations in Sumy district overnight, causing fire and destruction.

As a result of the incident, residential and dacha houses and vehicles were damaged. No one was reported injured.