By Sergey Panashchuk and Nina Lyashonok in Odesa, Ukraine
A married couple was killed by collapsed debris of a Russian drone after it was downed by the Ukrainian air defense forces.
Yulia Antonenko and her husband Yuri Antonenko were on their way home after visiting their parents when a Russian drone and missile attack started.
They heard the air raid alert and hurried to take shelter in the city of Odesa, southern Ukraine, according to reports.
The couple almost reached safety when the debris of a drone, shot down by the Ukrainian air defense, fell on them from the sky.
Both the man and the woman died on the spot from horrific traumas, say local media.
The incident occurred on Saturday during another Russia’s massive drone and missile attack.
They left behind a 20-year-old daughter and elderly parents, according to the Ukrainian media.
Reports say the victims had settled down in Odesa only recently after fleeing their hometown of Bakhmut.
“Yulia and Yuri Antonenko died on June 9 from the wreckage of a Russian drone in Odesa. A friend of the victims said that the man and woman were temporarily displaced persons.
“They had fled from Bakhmut to Odesa together with their parents.
“Before they [Yulia and Yuri ] could reach their own house, their lives were cut short,” said Ivan Dolgikh, a volunteer who helped the family, on his Facebook page and was cited by the local media outlets.
A displaced woman from Kherson was among the victims of the same attack. The local authorities reported dozens of injured civilians, including two children and a pregnant woman, after drone and rocket debris collapsed on apartment blocks.
According to reports on 09 June, at approximately 2340, Russia launched eight Shahed-type drones and two ground-launched missiles from the Russian coast of the Sea of Azov, targeting the city of Odesa and Odesa region. Ukrainian officials reported that air defenses intercepted all of the incoming missiles and drones.
