site.btaStrong Explosions Reported in Odesa, Mayor Says City Attacked with Ballistic Missiles from Crimea

Strong explosions echoed in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, on the Black Sea, at 10:35 pm on Thursday evening. The air raid alert was issued just minutes earlier at 10:32 pm.

Local authorities are urging residents to remain in shelters until an all clear is declared.

Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said on Telegram that the city is under attack by ballistic missiles from Crimea.

Odesa region is home to the third largest community of expatriate Bulgarians, numbering more than 150,000 people, according to the official 2001 census in Ukraine. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Bulgarians live in the regional capital, Odesa. Bulgarians in the region are concentrated in the districts of Bolhrad, Izmail, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.