Five killed in Russian missile attack as Ukraine’s ‘Harry Potter castle’ goes up in flames

Dramatic video footage of the attack shows dozens of bomblets exploding within seconds of each other near to the seafront.

At least five people were killed and more than 30 injured in a Russian missile attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa on Monday, Ukrainian authorities say. Dramatic video footage of the attack, released by the office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, showed dozens of bomblets exploding within seconds of each other in an area close to the seafront. Other videos and pictures shared by officials showed flames engulfing the cone-shaped towers and roof of an educational institution known locally as “Harry Potter castle” due to its resemblance to a Scottish baronial pile. Ukrainian authorities believe Russia used an Iskander ballistic missile and cluster munitions to carry out the attack. “Metal fragments and missile debris were recovered within a 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile) radius from the attack site,” Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said. He added that “the investigation has grounds to believe” the Russian military used cluster munitions with the intention of inflicting large number of casualties. He said two children and a pregnant woman were among the 30 people injured in the attack.