Kyiv [Ukraine], March 7: Deadly explosions have rocked Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa as President Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Ukraine's navy says five people were killed. The BBC has been told no-one from either delegation was hurt.
Mitsotakis said the pair heard the sound of sirens and explosions. Russia said it targeted a maritime drone facility in a commercial port area of the city during an attack on Wednesday.
President Zelensky accused Russia of "not caring who they target", saying Moscow had "either gone crazy or they don't control what their terrorist army is doing".
During a joint news conference, the Greek prime minister said "we heard the sound of sirens and explosions that took place near us. We did not have time to get to a shelter."
"It is a very intense experience... It's really different to read about the war in newspapers, and to hear it with your own ears, see it with your own eyes," he added.
Zelensky said the strike had left "dead and wounded", but said he did not have exact figures. Greek media reported that one missile landed about 150m (492m) from the two leaders.
Russia's defence ministry said it had successfully attacked a hangar housing Ukrainian naval drones. It was not immediately clear if Moscow was referring to the same explosions referenced by the two leaders.
"The goal has been achieved. The target has been hit," the ministry said in a statement. The BBC could not independently verify this claim.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on social media she strongly condemned "the vile attack on Odesa" during the leaders' visit.
The attack comes after 12 people - including five children - were killed by a Russian drone strike on Odesa on Saturday. Two infants less than a year old were among the dead.
During their meeting in the city on Wednesday, Zelensky and Mitsoutakis visited the house damaged in the attack.
"My presence here reflects the respect of the entire free world for your people and underlines Greece's commitment to remain by your side," Mitsotakis told the Ukrainian president.
Meanwhile, an oil reservoir at a mining company in the western Russian region of Kursk has caught fire following a Ukrainian drone attack, official reports said on Wednesday. There were no injuries and the fire brigade was fighting the blaze, Kursk Governor Roman Starovoyt said on his Telegram channel.
Later Wednesday morning, he confirmed a second drone attack, which had also hit the mining firm's fuel depot.
The factory in the city of Zheleznogorsk for the production of pigiron belongs to the Metalloinvest holding of oligarch Alisher Usmanov and is on the international sanctions lists. The fire has had no impact on the factory's continued operations, the company said.
In addition to the Kursk region, the neighbouring Russian regions of Voronezh and Belgorod have also reported Ukrainian drone attacks.
Source: Qatar Tribune
