WORLD
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday warned that Russian forces are now preparing to bombard Ukraine's historic port city Odessa on the Black Sea.
Today is Day 12 of the Russia-Ukraine war which has intensified and with each passing day Ukraine's city by city are falling into the hands of the Russian military forces. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday warned that Russian forces are now preparing to bombard Ukraine's historic port city Odessa on the Black Sea coast.
"They are preparing to bomb Odessa. Odessa!" Zelenskyy declared in a video address. "Russians have always come to Odessa. They have always felt only warmth in Odessa. Only sincerity. And now what? Bombs against Odessa? Artillery against Odessa? Missiles against Odessa?" he demanded.
"It will be a war crime. It will be a historical crime," Zelenskyy said. Russian forces have made progress in southern Ukraine since their February 24 invasion. They have already besieged the city of Kherson and the port of Mariupol, but Odessa has so far been largely spared.
On Sunday, there were multiple military checkpoints at the entry to the city, but the streets themselves were calm and largely empty. Almost a million people live in Odessa, a cosmopolitan harbour on Ukraine's southern coast with both Ukrainian and Russian speaking people and Bulgarian and Jewish minorities.
Odessa or Odesa is the third most populous city in Ukraine and a major tourism centre, seaport and transport hub.
Almost a million people live in Odessa, including Ukrainian and Russian speaking people and Bulgarian, Jewish minorities.
The historic port city of Odessa is located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea.
Odessa is sometimes called the 'pearl of the Black Sea', 'South Capital', 'The Humour Capital' and 'Southern Palmyra'.
In 1794, the city of Odessa was founded by a decree of the Russian empress Catherine the Great.
During the Soviet period, it was the most important port of trade in the Soviet Union and a Soviet naval base.
January 1, 2000, the Quarantine Pier at Odessa Sea Port was declared a free port and free economic zone for 25 years.