Deadly Russian Drone Strike Hits Odesa as Top Officials Gather for Munich Summit

A Russian drone strike on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight killed a woman after her residential building caught fire, local officials reported Saturday.

Governor Oleg Kiper stated that emergency crews managed to extinguish the blaze quickly, but a woman was found dead inside the structure. “Unfortunately, a woman was killed in the attack. Our condolences to her family and loved ones,” Kiper wrote on Telegram.

According to the governor, the shockwaves from the drone explosions also shattered windows in surrounding buildings, causing further damage to the neighborhood.

In a separate wave of attacks, the Zaporizhzhia region faced intense bombardment over the past 24 hours. Regional military chief Ivan Fedorov reported that at least one person was killed and three others were wounded. He detailed the scale of the assault, noting that “the invaders carried out 655 strikes on 41 settlements.”

The renewed violence comes at a critical diplomatic moment as senior US and European leaders, diplomats, and defense chiefs convene in Munich for a high-level security summit. Discussions on how to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine are at the top of the agenda.

A German government source revealed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks on Friday, focusing on “Ukraine, the status of negotiations with Russia and further support for the country, particularly in terms of military aid.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Munich on Friday and has been holding a series of meetings with key allies. He is scheduled to address the summit later Saturday. No officials from Russia have been invited to the gathering.