Sun Sep 15 11:46:00 UTC 2024: ## Russia Launches Overnight Attacks on Ukraine, Killing Two in Odesa

**Odesa, Ukraine** – A wave of Russian missile and drone attacks struck Ukraine overnight, killing two people in the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Local officials reported that the victims were a couple, and one other person was injured in the attack.

Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles launched by Russia, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. However, the remaining missiles struck the outskirts of Odesa.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 29 Ukrainian drones over western and southwestern regions of Russia overnight, with no damage reported. They also claimed to have downed another Ukrainian drone over the Ryazan region Sunday morning.

**Kharkiv Hit by Airstrike, Zelenskyy Calls for More Western Aid**

In a separate incident, Russian airstrikes hit the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, injuring at least 41 people, including four children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a high-rise residential building was struck, causing a fire between the 9th and 12th floors.

Zelenskyy also expressed concern over the slow pace of Western military aid, stating that Ukraine was suffering high losses due to insufficient equipment. He claimed that only four out of the 14 brigades needed to counter the Russian advance were fully equipped, highlighting the urgent need for more support.

**US Sanctions RT, Russia Threatens Countermeasures**

Tensions between Russia and the West escalated further after the US imposed sanctions on Russia’s state-owned RT television network. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT of meddling in foreign affairs and engaging in covert operations.

In response, Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the sanctions as censorship and an attack on press freedom. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova threatened countermeasures, accusing the US of trying to silence alternative views.

**Pokrovsk Hit, Lammy Criticizes Putin’s “Bluster”**

In the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, Russian shelling killed one person and injured others. The attacks targeted a building near a gas station and the western part of the city. Over 20,000 people have fled Pokrovsk since August due to Russian strikes that have disrupted water and electricity supplies.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats regarding NATO’s potential involvement in the conflict as “bluster” and a tactic to intimidate. He emphasized that talks between Western leaders and Zelenskyy regarding the use of long-range missiles would continue at the United Nations General Assembly meeting later this month.

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