8 People Killed and 27 Injured in Russian Missile Attack on Ukrainian City of Odessa

The Ukrainian Emergency Service said on Saturday that eight people were killed and 27 others injured in a Russian overnight missile attack on infrastructure in the city of Odessa in southern Ukraine. This comes as a Kremlin envoy is scheduled to travel to the U.S. state of Florida to hold talks regarding a proposed American plan to end the war that has been ongoing for nearly four years.

These discussions are part of a sustained American push for peace that has been ongoing for months, which also included meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin earlier this week.

The chief Ukrainian negotiator said late on Friday that his delegation had concluded separate meetings in the United States with American and European partners, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said much would depend on the American position following discussions with the Russians.

Zelensky stated at a press conference held in Kyiv with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, "The main question remains how the United States will respond after consultations with the Russians, and at this stage, I really do not know, but I will know later today," according to AP.

The Emergency Service added in a post on the Telegram app that some of the injured in Odessa were on a passenger bus that was caught in the shelling late on Friday. Fires also broke out in trucks and cars parked in a parking lot.

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odessa region, said the port was also hit by ballistic missile strikes. Moscow did not immediately comment on reports related to the attack.