A Russian missile attack left at least three dead in Odessa, in southwestern Ukraine, local authorities reported on the night of Tuesday April 30 to Wednesday May 1, 2024. “The enemy attacked Odessa with ballistic missiles. As a result of the attack, three people were killed and three others injured.indicated the mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov on the social network Telegram.
“All necessary medical aid is being provided to the injured”said the governor of the Odessa region, Oleg Kiper, on Telegram. “There is damage to civil infrastructure,” he added, without providing further information.
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Another missile attack carried out by Moscow on Monday in Odessa killed five people, according to local officials. Odessa, a Black Sea port vital to Ukrainian exports, is regularly targeted by deadly missile and drone attacks. Russia has been relentlessly striking Ukrainian cities for months and advancing on Ukraine’s eastern front ahead of the arrival of crucial U.S. weapons for kyiv.
Washington calls on its allies to give Patriot systems to Ukraine
US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin on Tuesday encouraged countries with Patriot missile systems to donate them to Ukraine, which is expecting more air defense weapons from Russia.
Lloyd Austin’s call comes a week after US President Joe Biden signed into law a bill providing $61 billion in military and economic aid for kyiv, sparking a slight revival of hope among Ukrainians.
“There are countries that have Patriots, and what we are doing is continuing to mobilize these countries”declared the American Minister of Defense during a hearing before elected representatives of the House of Representatives. “I myself have spoken with the leaders of several countries, right here, over the last two weeks, to encourage them to provide more equipment”he added, without mentioning the names of the countries concerned.
Several European countries have these systems, including Spain, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his calls for help on Monday during a visit to kyiv by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
In the Ukrainian army, soldiers’ gambling addiction under pressure
Last month, Pavlo Petrychenko, a junior sergeant in the Ukrainian army, warned President Volodymyr Zelensky of a serious danger threatening his military: online gambling.
This practice, on the rise among serving soldiers, has led many to lose entire salaries and go into debt, he warned. The addiction is such that soldiers have sold army drones and thermal cameras, trading their own security for the fleeting hope of getting rich in a few clicks.
Exhausted by more than two years of war, soldiers separated from their loved ones and subjected to constant danger seek in betting an escape and a boost of dopamine, according to the military who are campaigning for strict control of games.
