One dead, cathedral damaged in Odesa attack

A Russian air attack on Ukraine's southern port of Odesa early on Sunday killed one, injured nearly 20 and badly damaged an Orthodox cathedral, Ukrainian officials have said.

The 19 injured included four children, while six houses and apartment buildings were also destroyed. Fourteen people were hospitalised, he said.

The Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral, or the Transfiguration Cathedral, was severely damaged, Odesa's military administration said. Odesa's largest church building, it is located in the historic city centre, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Parts of the building were destroyed, the floors were covered in rubble and chunks were ripped off the cathedral's ornate walls.

Russia's Defence Ministry reported strikes on targets in the area but denied it had struck the cathedral and said the building had probably been hit by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile.