Russian missiles spark huge factory fires in Ukraine’s Odesa and Zaporizhzhia
Russian strikes sparked major fires in Ukraine’s Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions on Friday 16 October, leaving industrial premises engulfed in flames. In Odesa, firefighters battled a blaze at a factory producing household goods, dragging hoses towards the burning building as products lay scattered across the ground. Further east, in Zaporizhzhia, emergency crews used an elevated platform to tackle a fire covering 500 square metres at a private business. Footage released by Ukraine’s emergency services shows firefighters directing jets of water into the flames at both sites. The attacks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined European leaders for talks. Separate footage shows him arriving alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk were also among the leaders filmed at the gathering. The scenes underline the continuing impact of Russian strikes on Ukrainian businesses as Kyiv pursues diplomatic discussions with its European partners.
