Russian air strikes caused significant fires in Ukraine’s Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions on Friday, 16 October, engulfing industrial sites in flames.
In Odesa, firefighters fought a blaze at a household goods factory, with hoses being dragged towards the burning building, where products lay scattered on the ground.
Meanwhile, in Zaporizhzhia, emergency services deployed an elevated platform to tackle a fire covering 500 square metres at a private business. Footage from Ukraine’s emergency services shows firefighters directing water jets into the flames at both locations.
These attacks coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attending discussions with European leaders. Video footage captured his arrival alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also present. The incidents highlight the ongoing impact of Russian strikes on Ukrainian businesses as Kyiv engages in diplomatic talks with its European partners.
