An explosion rocked the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Wednesday, sending shockwaves through the area as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis concluded their tour of the war-torn southern city.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis described the blast as a “vivid reminder” of the ongoing conflict with Russia, emphasizing that experiencing war firsthand differs greatly from hearing about it. “It is one thing to hear about the war and quite another to experience war firsthand,” Mitsotakis said.
President Zelenskyy confirmed casualties from the explosion, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attacks: “You see who we’re dealing with, they don’t care where to hit.”
Russian officials offered no immediate response to the incident.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack during the Greek delegation’s visit, denouncing it as a “vile attack” and labeling it a “new attempt at terror” by Russia.
During their tour of Odesa, Zelenskyy showed Mitsotakis the destruction caused by recent Russian attacks, including the tragic incident where 12 people, including five children, lost their lives when debris from a Russian drone struck an apartment block on March 2.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis underlined the historical significance of Odesa, noting its role in Greek history as the birthplace of the Filiki Etairia organization, which fought for Greek independence from Ottoman rule in the 19th century.
