Families in Odesa Face Relentless Attacks as War Escalates

Sat Jan 17 2026 05:32:45 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Residents in Odesa grapple with increasing drone strikes from Russia, forcing them to adapt to a new reality of constant threats and limited resources as they struggle for survival amid ongoing conflict.

Odesa, Ukraine's third-largest city, is under siege as drone attacks increase, prompting families to reconsider their safety and future. The story highlights the experiences of Mariia, her husband Sergii, and their daughter Eva, who have learned to navigate their lives amidst air raid alerts, power cuts, and the threat of violence. The region, once a bustling economic hub, now faces crippling attacks aimed at disrupting its infrastructure and morale.

From Mariia's 16th-floor flat, the calm waters of the Black Sea stretch out into the horizon beneath the fading twilight.

Up here you can see and hear when the drones come, she says, standing by a wall-length, floor-to-ceiling window. When they hit buildings and homes in the city of Odesa down below we see all the fires too.

Her daughter Eva, who is nine, has learned the shapes and sounds of the objects that zoom through the sky on a daily basis. She proudly shows off a list of social media channels she checks when the air raid alerts go off.

She knows whether what's coming is a risk or a threat, and that calms her down, her father Sergii says.

There is scarcely a place in Ukraine that has not been targeted since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.

But in recent weeks Odesa – Ukraine's third largest city – has come under sustained attack. Through strikes on port and energy infrastructure, Russia is trying to cripple the region's economy and dent the population's morale.

Moscow does not just hit facilities. Its drones, mostly as big as a motorcycle, regularly crash into high-rise buildings like Masha's, exploding on impact and blowing glass and debris inward. The consequences are often deadly.

As the strikes surge, air sirens go off frequently, but not everyone heeds them. Standing in front of a destroyed gym the morning after an overnight drone strike, Maryna Averina of the State Emergency Service concedes people have become very careless about their own safety.

Ada, 36, is strolling on the beach, unfazed by the wail of air alert sirens mingling with the squawking of seagulls. The drone attacks have ramped up but, she says, the shelling isn't as scary as this cold is.

Oleh Kiper, regional government leader, has made it a personal mission to sever any perceived remaining ties Odesa has to Russia, emphasizing the importance of Ukrainian identity amidst ongoing conflict.

As temperatures drop into freezing conditions, the inhabitants of Odesa are left grappling with both the cold and the reality of living under the threat of war. A community forged in resilience continues to hold on to hope for a future beyond the current hardships.