The explosions reportedly targeted a senior Ukrainian military officer and a domestic intelligence operative
Published 28 Jul, 2026 21:17
© The Ukrainian National Police
Two cars exploded on Tuesday in separate locations in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa. The bombings reportedly targeted a senior military official and an intelligence operative, with the authorities treating at least one of the incidents as terrorism.
The first explosion occurred early in the morning near a residential building, when the 49-year-old victim turned on his car, the Ukrainian National Police said. Footage from the scene suggests the explosive was likely concealed within the car’s driver-side front wheel well.
According to local media reports, the driver was Vyacheslav Sazonov, a senior staff officer in the Ukrainian Navy. He was wounded but survived the attack. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has launched a criminal investigation and is treating the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
Later in the day a second car exploded while driving down a central street. The blast killed the driver of the vehicle on the spot, while his female passenger was injured, the police said. The deceased was reported to be Ruslan Otsebrik, an operative with the SBU. The identity of the wounded woman has not been disclosed yet.
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Footage from the scene suggests the bombing was carried out in a similar style to the first, with the explosives installed within the driver side front wheel well.
Thus far, no one has claimed responsibility, while the Ukrainian authorities have refrained from providing any theories about the attacks and whether they are connected.
