Families in Odesa, Ukraine, are fleeing intensified Russian barrages from the sea, which target both vital infrastructure and residential areas, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis amid a harsh winter. This escalation has forced residents to confront daily drone and missile attacks, power outages, and freezing temperatures, highlighting the ongoing toll of the nearly four-year conflict.
From her 16th-floor apartment overlooking the Black Sea, Mariia witnesses the frequent arrival of Russian drones, a grim reality that her nine-year-old daughter Eva has learned to navigate by identifying aerial threats. The family, originally displaced from Kherson, now considers leaving Odesa as attacks surge, with father Serhii emphasizing that the war is increasingly centered on economics and crippling key infrastructure like ports. Their story mirrors that of many in Ukraine’s third-largest city, where sustained assaults have become a brutal norm in recent weeks.
Odesa’s strategic importance stems from its role as an economic powerhouse, housing Ukraine’s largest ports, including the only deep-water facility, which handled 90% of the country’s exports last year. Russia, occupying most of Ukraine’s coastline, has intensified strikes on these ports and energy networks, aiming to undermine the region’s economy and morale. Regional leader Oleh Kiper notes that such attacks have led to a 45% drop in agricultural exports last year, severely impacting Odesa’s vitality.
The consequences are dire: cargo has been destroyed, crew members on foreign merchant ships injured or killed, and port operations repeatedly halted by over 800 air-raid alerts in a year. Simultaneously, residents endure relentless power outages; in December, nearly a million people were left without electricity, struggling to stay warm as temperatures plunge below freezing. This dual assault on infrastructure and daily life has created a pervasive sense of instability.
Personal accounts reveal the human cost. Ada, 36, strolls on the beach despite air raid sirens, stating that the cold is scarier than the shelling, while young mother Yana describes a drone crashing into her apartment and subsequent power cuts forcing her family to buy an expensive generator. With the average monthly salary around $500, running the generator for seven hours costs $10, adding financial strain to the physical dangers. Many, like fisherman Kostiantyn, express a mix of defiance and despair, struggling to accept the war waged by a former neighbor.
Historically, Odesa holds symbolic value for Russia, with President Vladimir Putin calling it a “Russian city” and invoking its imperial past. In response, local authorities have pursued decolonization, removing statues like that of Catherine the Great and renaming streets to cut ties with Russia. Kiper champions the use of Ukrainian in the city, arguing that Russian aggression is inadvertently strengthening Ukrainian identity among residents.
Emergency services report that prolonged air raid alerts, sometimes lasting 16 hours, have led to complacency, with many ignoring warnings due to the impracticality of shelter life. Maryna Averina of the State Emergency Service observes that people have become “very careless about their own safety,” as seen after a drone strike destroyed a gym and injured seven. The city recently marked a month of partial blackouts, with temperatures dropping to -6°C and another ballistic missile strike injuring a crew member at the port of Chornomorsk.
Looking ahead, if Russia cannot capture Odesa, it appears determined to devastate it through continued attacks, risking long-term economic isolation and deepening the humanitarian crisis. Ukraine’s military works to defend the region, but the relentless barrage underscores the conflict’s intractability, leaving residents to hope for an end while enduring unimaginable hardships.
