Zelenskyy says officials responsible for Odesa air defences are being "dealt with"

Tetyana Oliynyk - 20 December, 15:45

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said efforts are underway to repair infrastructure facilities in Odesa Oblast and that officials in charge of the region's air defences are being held accountable.

Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, broadcast by Suspilne, a Ukrainian public broadcaster

Quote: "As regards Odesa, I understood straight away what was happening there after the large-scale strikes and we held several meetings online."

Details: Zelenskyy said he has tasked officials with ensuring people have essential supplies – food, fuel and medicine – although he did not provide a timeline for repairs.

Quote: "My deputy for regional policy, Viktor Mykyta, is there and is reporting to me and providing support. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba, who is also responsible for this area, should already be in the field along with the local authorities. Everyone is doing their job. We are also dealing with people responsible for air defences in Odesa Oblast. Well, that's for me and the commander-in-chief to deal with."

Background:

Since 08:00 on 19 December, the bridge on the M-15 Odesa-Reni road (towards Bucharest) in the village of Maiaky, Odesa Oblast, has been closed to traffic.
The M-15 Odesa-Reni motorway has been closed to freight traffic to deal with the aftermath of Russian strikes on Odesa Oblast.
Because traffic on the Odesa-Reni roadway has been suspended, the State Customs Service has advised people to cross into Moldova via the Mamalyha-Criva and Sokyriany-Ocniţa checkpoints for freight and the Bronnytsia-Unguri, Vashkivtsi-Grimăncăuți, Rososhany-Briceni and Kelmentsi-Larga checkpoints for passengers.
Ukraine's Agency for Recovery is working with other partners and is aiming to restore full transport links in the south of Odesa Oblast in the coming days, while building additional temporary transport structures could take 2.5 months.

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