site.btaBulgarians in Odesa Report Violent Explosions, Sirens, Sleepless Night, Fear for Life

Bulgarians resident in Odesa told BTA about violent explosions, sirens, a sleepless night and fear for their lives after a Russian attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city during the night to Monday.

The missile and drone attack on Odesa lasted from 1:00 a.m. to 3:22 a.m., the City Council said on its official website.

"The nighttime blasts were very strong and repeated. I live nextdoor to the large hypermarket in Odessa which took a direct hit. It is nearly gone, terrible to look at. There are new residential buildings all around. We are all stressed. Luckily, nobody was hurt," Bulgarian Viktor Topal said.

"My home is on the first floor, and I could feel the detonation waves. One missile was heard whizzing, then the Ukrainian air defence responded. The feeling is of fear and horror: you never know when a missile or a missile debris will fall and when. We pray and expect this madness to end as soon as possible," said another Bulgarian, Nadezhda Idzhilova, a long-time resident of Odessa who is actively involved in cultural and educational events and initiatives of the Bulgarian community in the Black Sea city.

Seven kindergartens and schools and a student dormitory were damaged in a central district of the city. Over 110 residential buildings sustained smashed doors and windows, and cars were hit, too.

"Windows and doors of children's establishments in central Odesa have been shattered by the shock waves, colleagues say. All this is terrible," says kindergarten principal Marina Malenkova. 

Odesa Oblast is home to Ukraine's third largest Bulgarian community, 150,000-plus according to the country's official census of 2001. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Bulgarians live in the city, and the largest numbers are concentrated in the Bolhrad, Izmail and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.