On the evening of 26 September, footage emerged of a major fire in Odesa — a huge plume of black smoke rose above the city. Preliminary reports suggest the fire was detected near one of the «Epicentre» chain’s outlets. However, at the time of publication, the Odesa Regional State Administration and the State Emergency Service had not yet confirmed that it was the hypermarket that was on fire, nor had they confirmed the cause of the new blaze. Earlier that same day, local social media groups reported a strike on an «Epicentre» store at the 7th kilometre mark in the suburbs of Odesa.
Briefly about the main points
- A major fire was reported in Odessa this evening.
- Preliminary reports suggest the fire is in the «Epicentre» area.
- The cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed.
- Earlier in the day, there were reports of an attack on «Epicentre» at the 7th km.
A huge plume of smoke rose above Odessa
Footage circulating on the evening of 26 September shows a large-scale blaze and thick black smoke billowing over a significant part of the city. According to preliminary reports, the fire broke out in the vicinity of one of the «Epicentre» chain’s stores». However, the exact location of the fire, its extent and its cause had not been officially announced at the time of writing. Furthermore, there is as yet no confirmed information regarding any fatalities or injuries resulting specifically from this fire.
Earlier today, there were reports of an attack on «Epicentre» at the 7th kilometre
This is not the first incident involving the «Epicentre» in the Odesa region throughout the day.
Local Telegram channels have reported that A strike on the hypermarket at the 7th kilometre of the Ovidopol Road. The videos released showed the aftermath of the strike and the damage to the building. Local sources later reported that two victims. According to their reports, one of the staff members sustained shrapnel wounds to his hands, whilst another woman suffered injuries to her torso. There were also reports of closed head injuries.
The chain’s official website confirms that one of the large «Epicentre» shopping centres is located in the village of Avangard on 7 km along the Ovidopol Road.
The Odesa region has been under attack since last night
On the night of 26 September, Russian troops had already launched a massive attack on civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region.
According to the State Emergency Service, the overnight strikes caused fires in a two-storey hotel and restaurant complex and in administrative buildings. Ten private homes and two three-storey residential blocks were also damaged. According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties during the night.
Air raid alerts were issued repeatedly throughout the day in the Odesa district due to the threat of attack drones. Local monitoring channels also reported jet-powered UAVs moving towards Odesa and its suburbs.
