An explosion shook the Ukrainian coastal city of Odessa today, Wednesday, during a highly secretive visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The explosion, caused by a ballistic missile, occurred a few hundred meters away from the leaders' convoy, according to a Greek official not authorized to speak publicly, as reported by Politico.
Greek State Minister Stavros Papastavrou, a senior aide to Mitsotakis, confirmed to local media that there were no injuries among the Greek delegation following the explosion. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast. Odessa has been under Russian fire since the beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The meeting between Zelensky and Mitsotakis went ahead as planned despite the explosion. Mitsotakis' visit was organized to show Greece's support for Ukraine. In a joint press conference after the meeting, Mitsotakis described the explosion that occurred while they were in the port of Odessa. He said, "Shortly thereafter, as we were getting into our cars, we heard a big explosion," adding that this was "the clearest reminder that there is a real war going on here."
This provides another reason for all European leaders to come to Ukraine. He added, "Because hearing the description from the media or from President Zelensky is one thing, experiencing the war firsthand is entirely different." Zelensky stated that the precise details of the attack are not yet known, but fatalities and injuries have occurred.
