A Russian Kalibr cruise missile struck a residential building in Odesa, destroying the apartment of professional tennis player Dayana Yastremska. The attack, which occurred on Friday night, also affected the nearby area of Chornomorsk.
Yastremska, 26, shared images on social media of the burning building and the aftermath. She revealed that the sole item to survive the destruction was an orange clay Roland Garros towel from the previous year. “A Russian missile destroyed our apartment in Odesa… SYMBOLIC. A piece of world tennis survived a Russian missile. Our home did not,” she wrote on Instagram.
Odesa regional official Oleh Kiper confirmed that the strike resulted in 37 injuries, including a baby, with two individuals still missing. The regional director of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine cited the damage to the multi-storey residential structure.
The professional tennis star, who reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2024 and currently holds the 113th ranking in women’s singles, called attention to the incident by tagging the Women’s Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation. “Look at these images through our eyes,” she added.
This incident follows a pattern of Ukrainian athletes losing property to Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Last year, footballer Heorhiy Sudakov reported severe damage to his Kyiv apartment while his family was inside.
37 injured, including a baby? This level of cruelty is unimaginable. Tennis should stay out of this war, but her home wasn’t spared.
Absolutely heartbreaking. That Roland Garros towel is such a poignant symbol of what Ukraine is losing. Praying for her safety.