Double strike by Iskander missiles in Odesa: SBU detains Russian agent

The security services detained a man suspected of coordinating a double strike with Iskander-M missiles on Odesa on March 15. Many local residents, rescuers, a paramedic, the former vice mayor of Odesa and the commander of the Tsunami battalion were killed.

This was reported by the SBU Office in Odesa region.

According to the agency, a local realtor spied on the Defense Forces and helped the Russians launch air attacks on the city. After the occupying army attacked Odesa's civilian infrastructure with Iskander ballistic missiles on March 15, the man arrived at the scene and passed on the results of the attack to the enemy special services.

"When rescuers, National Police officers and medics arrived at the scene, the racists fired a second missile at them. Immediately after that, an FSB agent arrived at the scene, conducted additional reconnaissance and passed on information about the damaged facilities and the estimated number of dead and wounded to the occupiers," the SBU said.

The agency noted that the suspect kept in touch with the FSB through an acquaintance who is a member of Russian military groups and participated in the capture of Mariupol and Bakhmut. This militant passed the information to his brother, who serves in an FSB unit located in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region.

After the realtor passed on the data on the consequences of the missile strike on Odesa, he continued to adjust Russian strikes, in particular, informing the special service about the places of temporary basing of the Defense Forces.

During the searches, cell phones and laptops with evidence of his crimes were seized from the detainee. Investigators notified him of suspicion under three articles:

◾️ part 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law);

◾️ part 1 of Article 161 (violation of equality of
citizens depending on their race, nationality, religious
beliefs, disability and other grounds);

◾️ chs. 1, 3, Art. 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants).

Now the Odesa resident faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

On March 15, the Russian army hit Odesa with an Iskander-M ballistic missile from the temporarily occupied Crimea. During the rescue operations, the enemy struck again, killing a rescue worker and a paramedic. On the morning of March 16, 21 people were reported dead, and about 40 more were hospitalized. The next day, a day of mourning was declared in Odesa and the region. Law enforcement recorded another crime by Russians.

Among the dead were former deputy mayor Serhiy Tetyukhin and commander of the Tsunami police regiment Oleksandr Gostishchev.

On March 18, former Vice Mayor Serhiy Tetyukhin, who was killed by Russian missiles, was buried in Odesa, and on March 17, the Odesa garrison said goodbye to firefighter Denys Kolesnikov, a rescuer.

On March 19, Odesa residents laid to rest emergency medical technician Serhiy Rotaru.