Russia is blasting Odessa to throttle Ukraine’s economy

ODESSA HAS endured a lot over the past four years, but in December it experienced a new level of assault. On the night of December 11th-12th Russia launched an unprecedented blitz, pummelling the city with a record 300 drones, bombs and missiles. By morning the region was without electricity, water or heat, and a ship in the port was burning. In the days that followed blackouts became routine, and many denizens relied on pop-up soup kitchens for meals. On December 18th Russia added the threat of physical isolation by striking the Mayaky bridge, a key point on a highway that links the city to Moldova and Europe. That attack killed a mother and injured three children. The next day the Russians hit civilian port infrastructure near the city, killing eight more, including a lorry driver waiting to load grain.