A wave of Russian drone attacks struck Odessa overnight, damaging several public institutions, including a historic hospital, a children’s inclusive center, and a university faculty building. While there were no casualties reported among people, the scale of destruction has prompted outrage and urgent recovery efforts.
The city’s infectious diseases hospital—an institution of both medical and historical significance—was among the targets. Over 100 windows and doors were shattered across four buildings in the complex.
According to the Odesa City Council, the hospital’s grounds include a national architectural monument where the renowned 19th-century surgeon and humanitarian Professor Mykola Pirogov once worked.
“Municipal services are already working to eliminate the consequences of the attack,” city officials said. Fortunately, no patients or staff were harmed, and newer hospital buildings remain operational.
Elsewhere in the city, an inclusive center for children with special needs was nearly destroyed. The facility had been equipped with specialized rooms for speech therapy, psychological support, and canine-assisted therapy, and offered services to children who are deafblind, autistic, or have visual and hearing impairments.
“We currently have 2,000 children registered with us. Around 200 children come to us each year,” said acting director Svitlana Nahorna. “We were supposed to receive the first child this morning, but unfortunately…” she added, standing beside shattered windows and the collapsed second floor. No staff or children were present at the time, but two cats that lived at the center were killed.
In another part of Odessa, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Ushynsky University was damaged by a nearby strike. According to Rector Andrii Krasnozhon, the blast wave broke windows and disrupted planned examinations.
“Classrooms and art studios were affected. Exams were scheduled in that very building today,” Krasnozhon said. University staff are currently assessing damage, and restoration work is expected to begin shortly.
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The attacks came amid a broader escalation of Russian strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern regions. Though the immediate death toll was avoided in Odessa, the psychological and cultural toll of losing essential spaces for healing, education, and care is profound.
As of Tuesday morning, city crews were working to clear debris, board up broken windows, and restore basic functions. For now, the children’s center remains closed indefinitely.
