Russian drone strike on Odesa kills teacher and husband, injures children — “We heard it coming, helpless” (updated)

Update 1: Teacher and husband killed in direct hit

Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov confirmed that a teacher and her husband were killed in last night’s Russian drone strike on the city.

“A person of the world’s most peaceful profession has died,” Trukhanov wrote on Telegram. “Kateryna Borsynska, a social pedagogue at the Mykhailivskyi Lyceum, and her husband, Valentyn, were killed.”

Update 2: 17 wounded, including children as young as 3

The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported that 17 people were injured in the overnight drone strike on the city. Among the wounded are three boys aged 3, 7, and 14.

Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a residential high-rise in Odesa, local authorities confirmed. Emergency responders discovered the bodies of a married couple whose apartment took a direct hit, according to Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov.

The attack in Odesa is part of a broader escalation in Russian aerial assaults. Ukrainian officials report that, this week alone, drone and missile strikes have killed at least 21 civilians in Dnipro and 9 in Kyiv, as Russia intensifies its bombardments of urban centers.

Fire and rescue efforts

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) reported that the drone struck a 21-story building, triggering fires on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors. Several residents were trapped in their apartments due to heavy smoke and debris. Emergency crews evacuated five people, including a young child.

“Preliminary reports indicate two fatalities and at least four people injured,” the SES said.

A Russian drone strike hit a high-rise in 🇺🇦Odesa, killing 2 and injuring 9.

A direct hit on the 9th floor set the building ablaze.

📹 A rescuer carries out a smoke-inhaled 3-year-old as his mother runs behind.

“The blast wave threw us. Our neighbor was covered in blood.” pic.twitter.com/VSzbApM2po

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 28, 2025

Six injured, including two young children

The Odesa Regional Administration initially reported six people injured: four adults and two children, ages seven and three. Governor Oleh Kiper confirmed that the 7-year-old boy is in moderate condition, while the 3-year-old suffered from smoke inhalation. All four adults were also hospitalized in moderate condition.

Police: Nine injured in total

Ukrainian police later updated the casualty count, stating that at least nine people were injured, including the two children. The drone made a direct hit on the 9th floor, severely damaging that level. The blast wave also impacted the 8th and 10th floors, with other parts of the building sustaining collateral damage.

Eyewitness: "We were thrown by the blast wave’

A resident of the damaged building shared her account with local outlet Dumska:

"There was an air raid alert. I heard a Shahed drone approaching—it was getting louder. I managed to reach the hallway just in time. The blast wave threw my husband and me. Fortunately, we weren’t seriously hurt. I saw fires on the lower floors. Our neighbor was badly injured—covered in blood—his wife was screaming. While my husband helped him, I gathered our documents. Together with our neighbors, we carried him outside on a blanket and evacuated."

Ongoing emergency response

Emergency crews continue working at the scene, and local authorities are assessing structural damage and providing aid to affected residents.

A Russian drone strike hit a high-rise in 🇺🇦Odesa, killing 2 and injuring 9.

A direct hit on the 9th floor set the building ablaze.

📹 A rescuer carries out a smoke-inhaled 3-year-old as his mother runs behind.

“The blast wave threw us. Our neighbor was covered in blood.” pic.twitter.com/VSzbApM2po

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 28, 2025