What did 18 November 2024 mean for Ukraine's besieged cities?
A retrospective on the second day of Russian missile strikes on Odesa, following a large nationwide attack on the energy system.
What did a country under sustained air attack face on 18 November 2024? In Odesa, the answer was a second consecutive day of Russian missile strikes. At least ten civilians were killed and dozens were injured. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.
The attack followed the largest Russian aerial assault on Ukraine in months, launched on 17 November 2024. According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, around 120 missiles and 90 drones were fired. Energy infrastructure was damaged across the country, at least seven people were killed, and the damage was widespread. The strikes were aimed at the energy grid ahead of winter, and the assault was the biggest since August 2024.
On the same day, a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Sumy killed ten people and injured 52 others.
A decision in Washington
Also on 17 November 2024, United States President Joe Biden lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of U.S. weapons for deep attacks inside Russia. Ukrainian forces planned to use the weapons in long-distance strikes in the coming days.
So 18 November 2024 sat between two developments: a nationwide barrage on energy infrastructure and a change in the rules governing Western-supplied weapons. For residents of Odesa, the immediate reality was a second night and day of strikes on homes and civilian infrastructure, in a country already facing a winter of pressure on its energy system.
