Russia hits Odessa with Iran drones

Ukraine yesterday said that the southern port city of Odessa was attacked by Iranian-made drones overnight, two days after a Russian attack with such a weapon killed two civilians.

"Odessa was attacked again by enemy kamikaze drones," said the Ukrainian army's Operational Command South.

"The enemy hit the administrative building in the city centre three times," it said in a Facebook message.

"One drone was shot down by (Ukrainian) air defence forces. No casualties (were) recorded," it said.

"These were Iranian drones," a Ukrainian South Command spokeswoman, Natalya Gumenyuk, later told AFP.

The strikes come two days after two civilians were killed in Odessa Friday in a Russian attack with an Iranian-made drone.

Kyiv said later it decided to reduce Iran's diplomatic presence in Ukraine over its supply of drones to Russia.

A foreign ministry official told AFP that the move amounted to expulsion as the ambassador was not in Ukraine and therefore could not be expelled.