Russian Strike on Ukraine’s Odesa Wounds Six

Russian drone strikes injured six people in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Wednesday, including three children, according to local military authorities.

The Odesa regional military administration said the attacks targeted residential areas as well as logistical and energy infrastructure.

Its head, Oleg Kiper, disclosed in a Telegram post that the strikes caused damage across the region.

In a separate update, city military administration chief Sergiy Lysak said two children aged eight and 14 were wounded, alongside a seven-month-old baby. He added that a 42-year-old man sustained serious injuries, bringing the total number of casualties to six. 

The attacks disrupted basic services, leaving parts of Odesa without heating and water.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, two men were wounded in drone strikes on the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to its military administration head, Vladyslav Gaivanenko.

Across the border in Russia, officials reported injuries from Ukrainian-linked attacks. 

Two people were wounded in a drone strike on the port city of Tuapse in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, municipal leader Sergei Boiko said. The attack reportedly damaged port facilities, equipment at an oil refinery and nearby homes. 

In the Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said munitions strikes left three people injured.

The escalation followed Ukraine’s rejection of claims that it had launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residences. 

Kyiv accused Moscow of spreading false information to influence discussions on ending the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the allegation as fabricated and announced plans to meet leaders of allied nations in France on January 6,2026 to revive peace efforts.

Russia’s Kremlin described the alleged incident at Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region as a terrorist act and a personal attack, but said it could not provide evidence, claiming the drones had been shot down.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that negotiations to end the conflict were closer than ever, though he acknowledged there had been no breakthrough on the sensitive issue of territorial control following recent talks with leaders from both sides.