Deadly Russian Missile Attack Rocks Odesa
KYIV — Chaos and devastation engulfed the Black Sea port city of Odesa as a Russian missile attack claimed the lives of at least five people and left more than 30 injured on Monday, Ukrainian authorities reported.
The harrowing assault was captured in dramatic video footage released by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office, showcasing the terrifying sight of bomblets exploding in rapid succession near the seafront.
Images shared by officials depicted the iconic “Harry Potter castle,” a local educational institution, consumed by flames as the missile strike ravaged its cone-shaped towers and roof, resembling a Scottish baronial pile.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the attack was orchestrated using an Iskander ballistic missile and cluster munitions, leaving a trail of metal fragments and debris scattered within a 1.5 km radius from the strike zone.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin expressed grave concerns over the use of cluster munitions, suspecting a deliberate intent to cause mass casualties, with two children and a pregnant woman counted among the wounded.
The aftermath of the onslaught revealed nearly 20 residential buildings and vital infrastructure facilities left damaged in its wake, amplifying the toll of destruction wrought by the assault.
Despite international prohibitions outlined in the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the use of these deadly weapons persists in the conflict, with both sides engaging in their deployment, including transfers from the United States to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian officials claimed a successful interception of a significant missile and drone onslaught by Ukraine, with air defenses in Crimea reportedly thwarting the attack on key targets, including airfields.
The strategic bridge linking Crimea to Russia, crucial for military supply lines, briefly shuttered in response to the assault but has since resumed operations, underscoring the resilience of the region amidst escalating hostilities.
Russian military sources asserted the attack was primarily repelled using US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), all allegedly neutralized by their air defenses, while Ukrainian authorities have remained silent on the incident.
In a peculiar turn of events, the scarcity of visual evidence surrounding the attacks has raised questions, with minimal videos or images surfacing to corroborate the unfolding chaos in the region. — CNN
