site.btaUPDATED Three Injured in Explosions Following Russian Missile Strike in Odesa

Three people were injured and hospitalized following explosions in Odesa on Friday night, Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov reported on Telegram.

The explosions occurred after a Russian missile strike on the historic centre of Odesa. Emergency teams have been dispatched, Trukhanov added.

Serious damage has been inflicted, and there are also destructions in the historical old part of Odesa, which is under UNESCO protection, the mayor's statement further said.

Bulgarians in the Odesa region number more than 150,000 and were the third largest population group in Ukraine in 2001, according to the official census. About 50,000 - 60,000 Bulgarians live in the city of Odesa itself. The largest compact Bulgarian population is concentrated in the Bolhrad, Izmail and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.