Ukrainian tennis star Dayana Yastremska reports that a Russian Kalibr cruise missile demolished her family apartment in the Black Sea port of Odesa.
She posted a photo of the burning multi‑storey building, accompanied by an image of a lone orange Roland Garros towel hanging from the wreckage. The towel, a marker of the 2025 Grand Slam tournament, survived the impact while her home was destroyed.
Odesa regional head Oleh Kiper confirmed that 37 people were injured in the strike, including a baby, and that two residents were reported missing. The damage stemmed from a combined missile and drone attack on Friday night.
Yastremska, who advanced to the semi‑finals of the Australian Open in 2024, is now ranked 113th in the WTA world singles list. Her recent post on Instagram highlighted a symbolic message: only a piece of world tennis survived a Russian missile while her home did not.
The incident follows a pattern of targeted attacks on Ukrainian athletes’ residences since the full‑scale invasion began in 2022. A notable example is footballer Heorhiy Sudakov, who said his Kyiv flat suffered extensive damage from a Russian drone strike while his family remained safe.
Roland Garros towel displayed in the rubble of a destroyed Odesa apartment.
