What was once the Odesa hotel was a smouldering ruin. The 19-storey building at 6 Primorskyi Boulevard had been transformed into a blackened shell. The Russians hit it last month with an Oniks anti-ship missile. Odesa’s once-bustling passenger terminal was damaged too, along with grain silos, warehouses and an Orthodox church.
This summer Russia pulled out from a year-long deal that allowed Kyiv to ship grain to the world. Ever since, it has pulverised Ukraine’s ports all along the coast of the Black Sea. There have been 13 massive attacks, which typically occur at night. The wail of sirens can be heard across Odesa. Then come the explosions, booming across the city and its picturesque bay.
