Kyiv: A devastating Russian missile strike has left a trail of destruction in the port city of Odesa, claiming the lives of at least five individuals and leaving over 32 others wounded, Ukrainian authorities confirmed on Monday.
Among the casualties of the assault was a beloved educational institution fondly dubbed the “Harry Potter castle” for its striking resemblance to the renowned Scottish architectural style.
In a grim announcement shared via a military Telegram channel, Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk revealed that the attack was orchestrated using an Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with a cluster warhead.
Expressing the horror and grief wrought by the assault, Odesa governor Oleh Kiper conveyed via the Telegram messaging app that, in addition to those directly killed by the strike, one individual tragically succumbed to a stroke induced by the shock of the explosion.
“Monsters. Beasts. Savages. Scum. I don’t know what else to say,” remarked a distraught Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov.
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“People are going for a walk by the sea and they are shooting and killing,” Trukhanov lamented, emphasizing the indiscriminate violence unleashed upon innocent civilians.
Unverified video footage circulating online depicts harrowing scenes of individuals seeking medical assistance amidst pools of blood-stained streets. A haunting photograph captures emergency personnel meticulously inspecting a fragment of the missile amidst the wreckage.
Describing the terrifying ordeal, Maria, a student, recounted to Reuters, “In front of my eyes, a missile was shot down, this was just in front of me. My doors were blown open and the glass was shaking. And then I saw this.”
“Just before this happened, we wanted to go down there for a walk, but thank God we weren’t there when it happened,” Maria added, her relief palpable amidst the chaos.
As the city grapples with the aftermath of the attack, public broadcaster Suspilne reported that Serhiy Kivalov, the president of the academy targeted in the assault and a prominent former member of parliament, was among those injured, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the violence inflicted upon the community.
