Families in Odesa Resisting Russian Attacks Amid Ongoing Strikes

Sat Jan 17 2026 19:33:52 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Odesa faces intensified bombardment from Russian forces, families like Mariia, Serhii, and their daughter Eva navigate daily life while constantly preparing for drone strikes. With the region’s economy under siege, the threat looms larger than ever.

Odesa, Ukraine, has come under severe bombardment as Russian attacks intensify, targeting both military and civilian infrastructure. Families are adapting to life under siege, with children learning to recognize the sounds of drones and parents questioning their safety. Residents like Mariia and Serhii reflect on their journey from Kherson to Odesa, where the city's strategic importance has made it a target for Russia. Amid power outages and frequent air raid alerts, the community continues to endure the harsh realities of war while maintaining hope for a better future.

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.

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

The city, an economic powerhouse before the war, is vital for Ukraine's maritime exports. Yet recent weeks have seen a surge in Russian attacks, causing destruction and despair among residents. As the strikes continue, families grapple with the brutal impacts of war while holding onto hope for a peaceful resolution.