Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia is preparing to bomb Odessa, a strategically important port city in southern Ukraine with a population of nearly one million. “They are preparing to bomb Odessa. Odessa!” said the Ukrainian President of the Black Sea city in a video message on Sunday. “Russians have always come to Odessa. They have always felt only warmth in Odessa. Only sincerity. And now what? Bombs against Odessa? Artillery against Odessa? Missiles against Odessa?” Zelensky added. “It will be a war crime. It will be a historical crime,” he stressed while calling on Russian people to make a choice “between life and slavery.” Russian armed forces made rapid progress when they first invaded neighboring Ukraine 11 days ago, surrounding several Ukrainian cities or facilities in the first week. Since then, Russian forces have overrun the city of Kherson, a key port on the Black Sea and the Dnieper River, and shelled the port of Mariupol, even as Ukrainians …