In brief
The city of Odesa, a vital economic hub in Ukraine, is under intense attack from Russian forces. Families are increasingly caught in a cycle of drone strikes and economic hardship, leading to a grim reality where everyday life is marked by danger and uncertainty. The story of a family – Mariia, Serhii, and their daughter Eva – encapsulates the broader struggles faced by residents as they navigate a war-torn environment while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy.
From Mariia's 16th-floor flat, the calm waters of the Black Sea stretch out into the horizon beneath the fading twilight. Up here you can see and hear when the drones come, she says, standing by a wall-length, floor-to-ceiling window. When they hit buildings and homes in Odesa down below we see all the fires too.
Her daughter Eva, who is nine, has learned the shapes and sounds of the objects that zoom through the sky on a daily basis. She proudly shows off a list of social media channels she checks when the air raid alerts go off.
She knows whether what's coming is a risk or a threat, and that calms her down, her father Serhii says.
There is scarcely a place in Ukraine that has not been targeted since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. But in recent weeks, Odesa – Ukraine's third largest city – has come under sustained attack. Through strikes on port and energy infrastructure, Russia is trying to cripple the region's economy and dent the population's morale.
Moscow, however, does not just hit facilities. Its drones, most of them as big as a motorcycle, regularly crash into high-rise buildings like Masha's, exploding on impact and blowing glass and debris inward. The consequences are often deadly.
Persisting hardship has led Mariia to wonder if her family might have to leave Odesa again. Originally from Kherson, they fled after the invasion began in 2022. Now, with escalating strikes, the family contemplates similar risks once more. War is only about economics, and Odesa for the Russians is about infrastructure, so they will do their best to conquer it, Serhii reflects.
Before the war, Odesa was an economic powerhouse, but the ongoing conflict has turned its strategic importance into vulnerability. With Russia occupying much of Ukraine's coastline, Odesa's role as a logistics hub has made it a target for continual and devastating attacks.
The recent months have been particularly harsh for families like Mariia's, who are left grappling with economic and social turmoil amidst the loud omnipresence of war. The indifference to air alerts, the frequent power cuts, and the general atmosphere of fear manifest the profound trauma that haunts this coastal city.
