Ukraine says 18 killed as Russian missiles slam into homes near port city of Odesa

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russian missile attacks on residential areas in a coastal town near Ukraine's port city of Odesa early Friday killed at least 18 people, including two children, authorities reported, a day after Russian forces withdrew from the strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea.

Video of the pre-dawn attack showed the charred remains of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka, located about 30 miles southwest of Odesa. Ukrainian news reports said missiles struck a multi-story apartment building and a resort area.

"A terrorist country is killing our people. In response to defeats on the battlefield, they fight civilians," Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.