site.btaOdesa Hit by Ballistic Missiles, Rocked by Explosions

The Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa has been hit by ballistic missiles fired from Crimea, local Telegram channels reported. An air raid alert was issued in Odesa and the entire province at 1:54 p.m.

Just a couple of minutes later, explosions echoed through the city.

The local authorities advised people to take shelter until the alert is lifted.

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