Philharmonic Hall damaged by rocket attack in the center of Odesa

The building of the Old Exchange, which currently houses the Odesa Philharmonic, was heavily damaged by a Russian missile attack on the center of Odesa on January 31.

This was reported by Ivan Liptuga, Director of the Department of Culture, International Cooperation and European Integration.

According to him, a total of 15 cultural heritage sites were damaged. The building of the Bristol Hotel, which is also an architectural monument, suffered the most. The extent of the damage has not yet been assessed. The Lucini House and two museums of Western and Eastern art and a branch of the Literary Museum were also damaged.

The Philharmonic suffered the most significant damage in terms of cultural value - the blast wave knocked out the authentic carpentry of the main entrance, damaged large stained glass windows and interior decoration.

"The impact of the attack on the internal structures will be assessed by specialists," the official said.

He also reminded that the Philharmonic building has been under enhanced UNESCO protection since 2023.

The number of victims of the Russian missile strike on the evening of Friday, January 31, reached seven civilians.

On January 31, in the evening, the Russian armed forces attacked Odesa with ballistic missiles, presumably of the Iskander type. In the central part of the city, the building of the Bristol Hotel was destroyed, windows were smashed and facades in nearby buildings and premises were damaged.

The claims that the head of Ukraine's intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, was staying at the hotel turned out to be false. Instead, diplomats from Norway were staying there.

On the night of January 31, four people were injured in the attack. Two of them were hospitalized at the Black Sea Hospital, where they received the necessary medical care. Among the victims is a surgeon who was injured in the arm by glass shards during surgery.

The hostile strike caused problems with electricity supply to parts of Chornomorsk and the suburbs. DTEK specialists are already working to restore electricity to homes.

At dawn on January 30, the occupiers attacked Izmail district of Odesa region with attack drones. There were no casualties, but there was destruction.

On the night of January 29, Russian troops also attacked the Izmail district of Odesa region using UAVs.

On January 28, Russians attacked Odesa with kamikaze drones. Three people were injured in the attack, and another person was rescued from a blocked apartment. The blast wave smashed windows in many buildings. City services worked all day to eliminate the consequences of the attack. An operational headquarters was set up in the city. However, the enemy attacked not only with drones but also with a missile. Ukrainian air defense destroyed the missile, but the wreckage of the downed drones damaged four residential high-rises and five country houses.

Кирило Бойко