Russian drone strike on Odesa damages journalist's apartment

Russia's January 28 drone strike on Odesa damaged the apartment of journalist Maksym Penko.

He reported this to Pavlo Kolotvin, the Institute of Mass Information representative in Odesa oblast.

“I was awake when the air alert went off. The first Shahed flew very close by – there was a distinct sound. Then there was an explosion. I read in a Telegram group that more drones were approaching. My mother was just getting ready for work and left the apartment. Later, I heard another drone flying by. I had just managed to take cover in the hallway when at 5:28 a.m. a big explosion went off,” Maksym said.

Aftermath of the Russian drone strike on Odesa on January 28. Photo by Maksym Penko

Aftermath of the Russian drone strike on Odesa on January 28. Photo by Maksym Penko

After that, he saw cars burning in the parking lot next to the house, and decided to go outside.

“In the street there was panic, commotion, and there was a crater where the drone debris fell down in the backyard. Then I checked my car – the windshield, the panoramic roof and the doors were damaged. Firefighters were already extinguishing the burning cars, although the air alert was still on. YePPO warned of a new threat and everyone who was nearby, including the firefighters, went down to a bomb shelter,” Maksym shared.

Aftermath of the Russian drone strike on Odesa on January 28. Photo by Maksym Penko

The window in the apartment of journalist Maksym Penko damaged in Russia's January 28 drone strike on Odesa. Photo by Maksym Penko

People were in the basement which had been converted into a bomb shelter at the beginning of the war. According to Maksym, there were children, elderly people and locals looking for safety.

“As several powerful explosions went off, everyone was nervously asking each other, 'Did it hit or was it hit?' You could also hear the children crying,” the journalist recalls.

Despite the danger of more explosions and fuel spillage, the firefighters decided to leave the shelter and continue extinguishing the burning cars.

Maksym also pointed out the results of the impact. In his apartment, the blast wave broke the double-glazed windows – the windows simply crumbled onto the balcony. Many of his neighbors had damaged window frames, and the doors of their cars were bent outward. There is a suspicion that the drone was carrying thermobaric ammunition.

The journalist also mentioned his mother, who was near the entrance at the time of the impact.

“The shock wave threw her against the wall. Her arm and ribs are injured," he said.

Now Maksym and his family are trying to restore their apartment, car, and their emotional wellbeing. Thanks to volunteers, they managed to seal the broken windows with plastic wrap and OSB boards.

“We are alive – they shouldn't hold their breath!” the journalist concluded.

Card number to help Maksym and his mother: 4441111057422713.

As previously reported, on October 29, 2024, a Russian drone strike on Kyiv damaged the apartment of the "Morning at Home" (Dim TV) host Kostyantyn Oktyabrskyi.