A Jewish day school in Odessa, Ukraine, sustained a direct hit on Wednesday from a Russian drone attack, the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement reported on its official website.
The site, which belongs to Chabad and is named Ohr Avner, was heavily damaged.
The nearby Mishpacha Orphanage, run by the school, was impacted in the attack as well.
More than 100 children were rushed by staff to a bomb shelter before the strike, preventing injury to anyone associated with the school or orphanage.
At least 18 people were injured in other impacts across the city.
Rabbi Avraham Wolff, the director of the school alongside his wife, Chaya, was quoted on the website as saying, “The moment we heard the siren, we woke the older children. The staff and older children helped wake the younger ones and carried them into the shelter. We had barely managed to close the door when the massive explosion hit. It shook the entire street. We understood that there had been a direct and deadly strike right next to us. Thank G‑d, the speed of our response made all the difference.”
The rabbi added that many members of the local Jewish community have died in the Russo-Ukrainian War, including alumni of the school.
