Russian Drone Swarm Strikes Odesa — 1 Dead, 23 Injured; Zelenskyy Urges Faster U.S. Diplomacy

A heavy Russian drone assault on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa killed at least one person and wounded 23 others, including two children and a pregnant woman, officials said Tuesday. Ukrainian authorities said the strike involved more than 50 unmanned aerial vehicles, some of them upgraded to extend range and increase strike power.

Attack and Damage

The drones targeted the city’s power grid amid what Ukrainian officials described as the coldest winter in years, and also struck five apartment blocks. Emergency crews recovered the body of a man from the rubble, according to Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa regional military administration. Rescue teams continue searching to determine whether anyone else remains under the debris.

Rescue workers clear the rubble of a residential building which was heavily damaged after a Russian strike in Odesa, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

“The rescue operation will continue until the fate of all people who may be under the rubble is clarified,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, noting that an informal Protestant place of worship was also damaged.

Diplomacy and Political Response

Zelenskyy criticized the strikes as undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts and urged the United States to accelerate talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict. Officials said a diplomatic push by the Trump administration has made some progress but has not resolved the central dispute over Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Zelenskyy said a next round of talks involving the United States and Russia is penciled in for Feb. 1 and called for additional sanctions in the meantime to press the Kremlin to negotiate.

Broader Military Context

Ukraine reported that Russia launched 165 drones overnight, of which 24 penetrated Ukrainian air defenses and struck targets across seven regions. UNESCO said recent barrages have also damaged some protected World Heritage sites in Odesa, Lviv and Kyiv.

Rescue workers clear the rubble of a residential building which was heavily damaged after a Russian strike in Odesa, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Ukrainian and international analysts say Russia has been improving its drone technology and tactics. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s main intelligence directorate said Moscow deployed the jet-powered Geran-5 strike drone — a Russian variant of the Iranian Shahed — for the first time; the directorate says the Geran can carry a roughly 90-kilogram (200-pound) warhead and has an operational range approaching 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

In response, Ukraine has significantly expanded production of interceptor drones and is developing its own long-range systems. Moscow, meanwhile, has sought to replenish its ranks by offering cash bonuses, freeing convicts and recruiting foreign fighters. An Associated Press investigation found that unwitting Bangladeshi workers were reportedly lured to Russia with false promises of civilian jobs and subsequently pressed into combat in Ukraine.

Broken window glass is seen in an apartment following a Russian air attack in the city center in Odesa, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 19 Ukrainian drones overnight over several Russian regions.

Follow AP’s reporting on the war: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine