A week under fire: Odesa and Kherson after Russian attacks

During March 10-15, 2025, Ukraine was subjected to intense shelling by the Russian Federation. It was another week of systematic attacks that resulted in significant damage to infrastructure and numerous civilian casualties. Destroyed houses, dead and wounded people - these were the consequences of every day.

This period was another confirmation that the war is ongoing, and each shelling leaves behind not only material destruction but also human tragedies.

March 10

On the night of March 10, the Russian military fired 23 times at Sumy region, 39 explosions were recorded.

March 11

Russian troops shell 11 settlements in Zaporizhzhia region, launching 267 attacks, including 15 air strikes, 123 with drones, 9 with multiple launch rocket systems, and 120 artillery strikes.

March 12

Russia launches a massive attack on Ukraine, launching three Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 133 Shahed attack drones. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 98 drones. In Kryvyi Rih, a 47-year-old woman was killed by a missile strike and nine other people were injured. Infrastructure, residential buildings, and administrative buildings are damaged.

March 14

Russian troops attacked nine settlements in Zaporizhzhia region 310 times, using artillery, aircraft, multiple launch rocket systems, and drones. In Kryvyi Rih, a rocket attack on a residential area injured 12 people, including two children. Multi-storey and private houses, as well as buildings with businesses, were damaged. In Kherson, Russian guided aerial bombs hit residential areas, killing one person. Russian drones attacked the Chornomorsk port near Odesa, causing a complete blackout in the city.

March 15

On the night of March 15, Russia attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 178 drones of various types. Ukrainian air defense forces shoot down 130 Shahed and other types of attack drones in various regions of Ukraine. These events demonstrate the escalation of violence and the need for international support to ensure security and stability in Ukraine.

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Odesa in the lens of Oleksandr Himanov

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On the night of March 11, Russian troops launched a massive attack on Odesa, causing large-scale fires and widespread destruction. The attack set fire to fuel tanks, a private residential building, and a warehouse with children's toys. More than a hundred rescuers, volunteers, members of the National Guard and local fire brigades were working at the scene. Thanks to their efforts, the fires were quickly localized, preventing further spread.

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“As a result of the hostile attack on the city in the evening of March 10, commercial and warehouse premises in different parts of the city were damaged with a total area of over 2,780 square meters,” said Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov. No casualties were reported.

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The moments of the tragedy were captured by photojournalist Oleksandr Himanov, who documented the consequences of the destruction. His photographs convey the reality of how the war is wiping out peaceful cities in Ukraine.‍

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Kherson in the lens of Ivan Antipenko

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On the night of March 15, Kherson suffered a devastating attack by Russian aviation. According to photojournalist Ivan Antypenko, a guided aerial bomb (GAB) hit a residential area with private buildings. One house was completely destroyed, and more than ten others sustained varying degrees of damage, from broken windows to destroyed walls.

Among the victims was a man who was inside his home at the time of the strike. His mother and sister, captured in Antypenko's photo, were left to mourn the tragedy. The journalist says that the strike occurred just a few blocks from his home.

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“I keep thinking that the enemy has started to wipe out Kherson like other cities in Donbas,” says Antypenko. Even if the bomb is knocked off course, it will still fall, causing destruction and death.

Antypenko emphasizes that Kherson suffers from new attacks every day - artillery shelling, drone strikes, and now air strikes. Despite wanting to spend their evenings with friends, the city's residents are forced to listen to explosions and monitor the movement of enemy scouts.

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“I really don't want to turn the tape into a selection of daily shelling. However, this is our reality today. The reality that we have to record. So that in tens and hundreds of years no one could say that it did not happen,” the photojournalist notes.

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This week was yet more evidence of Russia's systematic attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities. At the same time, this week's events once again emphasize the importance of recording the consequences of the war - as evidence for future investigations and to preserve the memory of the crimes committed against Ukraine.

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We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editorial director: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar