What did 8 December 2019 follow in Odesa and beyond?
A retrospective look at two reports from the days before 8 December 2019, one of tragedy in Odesa and one of energy diplomacy.
What was the news picture on 8 December 2019, as it stood after the preceding days? Two reports from that week stand out, one local and grim, the other international and strategic.
On 4 December 2019, a fire in Odesa left 12 people dead and 32 injured, while 8 more were reported missing. The figures were those given at the time, and they made the blaze a matter of public concern in Ukraine's port city.
Two days earlier, on 2 December 2019, Russia and China inaugurated their joint Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The launch was reported as a joint undertaking between the two countries.
The two items have no stated link, and this review draws none. Together, they mark the range of events that preceded 8 December 2019: a human loss at home and a major energy project abroad.
