Odesa region under fire and Intent's international certificate of journalistic quality: highlights of the week

Shelling of civilian targets has intensified

Previously, the Russians were trying to attack port infrastructure with drones and missiles, but over the past week, enemy ammunition has been hitting residential areas.

On the evening of November 5, the Russians fired Shahed missiles and drones from the Black Sea into the territory of Odesa region. The occupiers struck at Odesa region using two X-59 and X-31P guided missiles from the Black Sea.

On the night of November 7, Odesa was attacked by kamikaze drones. An operational headquarters was deployed in the Khadzhybey district of the city. As a result of enemy strikes, the facade and windows of an 11-story residential building, some balconies, and the glazing of two neighboring five-story buildings were damaged. On the ground, 14 parked cars and a gas pipeline were damaged by shrapnel, which fortunately did not catch fire.

On the night of November 8, Russian troops massively attacked Odesa and its suburbs with kamikaze drones. There were numerous explosions, a school, a gas pipeline, and many houses were destroyed. One person was killed and 9 others were injured in the attack. Residential buildings were damaged in the private sector. A fire broke out in two residential buildings. Civilian infrastructure was heavily damaged, including one of Odesa 's oldest schools, Lyceum No. 125 in the Kryva Balka neighborhood. The building, which had been fully repaired before the full-scale invasion, lost windows, furniture, doors, and the roof and heating system were damaged.

On the night of October 8-9, Russian troops launched another attack on Odesa region using unmanned aerial vehicles. Air defense forces tried to shoot down the enemy drones, but some of them hit residential buildings in Odesa. As a result of the enemy attack, several high-rise buildings and private sector houses were damaged, as well as administrative buildings, warehouses and cars in one of Odesa's districts. One person was killed, 13 others were wounded, including two children, as prosecutors document the consequences of another hostile attack in Odesa.

Military commissions against the activist

Activist Serhiy Sternenko said that he was wanted by the Odesa Regional Territorial Center for Manning and Social Support and claimed that it started because of his criticism of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky.

Photo collage: Intent

In its turn, the Odesa Regional Human Rights Committee and JV commented on the information about the search for the activist. The TCC stated that the activist had previously applied to the Prymorskyi District TCC and JV, where he paid an administrative fine for violating the rules of military registration and received a referral to undergo a military medical commission. At the same time, the TCC emphasized that the statements about the participation of the Commander-in-Chief in these events are groundless. Meanwhile, the activist's Telegram channel has been revitalized by his supporters, who claim that he is more useful as a volunteer blogger than a military man.

Odesa Art Museum celebrates 125th anniversary

On November 6, the Odesa Art Museum celebrated its 125th anniversary. It was on this day in 1899 that the City Museum of Fine Arts was inaugurated. Intent organized a live broadcast of the celebration from the museum.

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On the night of November 5-6, 2023, the Russians launched a missile attack on Odesa, allegedly using Oniks and Iskander-M. "The Oniks hit the center of Odesa - the missile created a large gap in the city center, and the blast wave damaged several multi-story residential buildings and the Odesa National Art Museum, a UNESCO heritage site. The building's walls were damaged, and some windows and glass were smashed. In December of the same year, the Odesa National Art Museum reopened its doors. In more than a month, the museum staff managed to partially repair the building and reopen almost all the halls on the first floor.

The Odesa National Art Museum is a state art museum located in the center of Odesa, in the building of the Naryshkin family estate, an architectural monument of the early XIX century. Since October 14, 2021, it has had national status. The museum was opened on November 6, 1899, through the efforts of the Odesa Society of Fine Arts (founded in 1865). The museum collection began with paintings donated to the museum by the Imperial Academy of Arts. The exposition of the Odesa Art Museum is housed in 26 halls. The author of the estate's project is not known. Construction lasted from 1823 to 1826. The building was certified in 1828 by Odesa architect Francesco Boffo.

Preparing for winter: Points of Unbreakability

This year, Odesa Regional State Administration has identified 812 checkpoints in the region, of which 188 are already operating. 624 points will be opened if necessary.

Photo: Odesa Regional State Administration

As for the districts, there are 48 points in Izmail district, of which 25 are operating, four in Bereziv district, 14 in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district, 340 points in Odesa district, of which 25 are operating. 14 points are operating in Podilskyi district, three in Rozdilnyanskyi district, and 10 in Bolhradskyi district.

In total, there are 625 points of inviolability from the authorities, while the State Emergency Service and the police have also opened points of inviolability. It should be noted that the heating season started in Odesa region on November 4.

Intent was the first in Odesa to receive an international certificate of journalistic quality

On November 7, 2024, Intent, an independent socio-political media outlet about the South of Ukraine, received a certificate from the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), an international standard of journalistic standards.

Photo: jti-app.com

Intent was the first publication in Odesa to undergo an independent external audit, which confirmed transparency and compliance with the highest professional standards. To date, more than 1,000 media outlets in 100 countries have received the Certificate of the Journalism Trust Initiative.

The Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certificate is an international standard of journalistic standards created by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The certification uses an international mechanism that rewards ethical journalistic practices and adherence to professional standards. The initiative aims to establish clear criteria for trust and quality in journalism, ensuring transparency and verification of these standards.

UNESCO's response to defenders of the Pushkin monument

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has announced that it will consider a letter from Ukrainian cultural figures regarding the renaming and dismantling of monuments, including the Pushkin monument, in Odesa. However, this will happen in the summer of 2025.

Photo: Mykhailo Holubev/Facebook

In October, opponents of the renaming of streets named after writers and other scientific and cultural figures of the communist and Russian empire period in Odesa and the dismantling of their monuments appealed to UNESCO and the President of Ukraine. They called for a postponement of the decision on Odesa's cultural heritage until the end of the war, when public consultations could take place. 115 representatives of Odesa's culture, art and science ask to postpone the decision on the demolition of Odesa's monuments until the end of the full-scale war. Some citizens even organized a rally on Shevchenko Avenue.