The key facts
- On October 16, strikes sparked fires at industrial facilities in the Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions
- In Zaporizhzhia, a fire at a private enterprise covered 500 square meters
- The strikes coincided with Zelensky's talks with European leaders
Fires at industrial facilities
On Friday, October 16, Russian strikes sparked major fires at industrial facilities in Ukraine's Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions, Euronews reported, citing footage from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. In Odesa, firefighters battled a blaze at a household goods factory, stretching hoses toward the burning building; products, according to the outlet, lay scattered on the ground. In Zaporizhzhia, rescuers used an aerial ladder to fight a fire covering 500 square meters on the premises of a private enterprise. The published footage shows firefighters at both sites directing jets of water into the flames.
Strikes amid talks with European leaders
The attacks occurred on the day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined European leaders for talks. Footage shows him arriving alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. Among the leaders caught by cameras at the meeting were also German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Euronews notes that the footage underscores the ongoing impact of Russian strikes on Ukrainian business against the backdrop of Kyiv's diplomatic dialogue with European partners.
