Oleh Kiper, the governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region, is bone-tired — and with good reason. Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Black Sea port, traditionally the beating heart of the Ukrainian economy, is miraculously functioning, with ships slipping in and out. But it is a shadow of its former bustling self and the city is still facing relentless night-time attacks by Russian missiles and drones.
“They hit our energy sector all the time,” says Kiper. “A lot of power stations have been damaged. We need better air defences but we don’t have enough. And the enemy are continuously upgrading their drones.”
The residents of Odesa, he adds, are “exhausted”.