The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed Kiev's claims that a Russian missile strike hit the Transfiguration Cathedral in the port city of Odessa in southern Ukraine, noting that all intended targets were located at a safe distance from the Orthodox cathedral.
"The information spread by the Kiev regime about striking the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa as a result of the use of precision weapons has nothing to do with reality. All the facilities designated for destruction and destroyed on the night of July 23 — where the Kiev regime, together with foreign specialists, were preparing terrorist acts against the Russian Federation — were located at a safe distance from the cathedral complex," the ministry said.
Russia's plans to strike Ukrainian military and terrorist infrastructure draw on "thoroughly verified" and cross-checked information, "deliberately avoiding striking civilian facilities" as well as cultural and historical heritage site, the ministry said.
The damage to the cathedral was most likely caused by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile that fell on it due to unprofessional actions of Ukrainian air defense operators, deliberately stationed in residential areas, the Russian military said.
Last Monday, Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article "terrorist attack" in connection with the attack by two Ukrainian surface drones on the Crimean bridge. The attack killed a couple from Russia's Belgorod region and seriously injured their daughter.
Commenting on the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it not only a brutal but also a militarily senseless crime. The president assured that Russia would not leave this attack unanswered.
Subsequently, the Russian army launched a series of retaliatory missile strikes on drone boat production and storage facilities, as well as fuel infrastructure facilities and weapons depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Odessa, Chornomorsk, formerly Illichivsk, and Nikolaev regions.