At least five people were killed and more than 30 injured in a Russian missile attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa, according to Ukrainian authorities. Dramatic video footage released by the office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General showed dozens of bomblets exploding in quick succession in an area near the seafront. Pictures and videos shared by officials also showed flames engulfing the cone-shaped towers and roof of an educational institution nicknamed “Harry Potter castle” due to its resemblance to a Scottish baronial pile. Ukrainian authorities believe Russia used an Iskander ballistic missile and cluster munitions in the attack, with metal fragments and missile debris found within a 1.5 km radius of the site.
Two children and a pregnant woman were among the 30 people injured in the attack, which also damaged nearly 20 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities. The use of cluster munitions is prohibited by the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty. However, neither Russia nor Ukraine, nor the United States, have signed the convention. Cluster munitions have been used by both sides in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with the United States also transferring them to Ukraine as part of a military aid package last year. The Russian military claims that air defenses in Crimea successfully intercepted a major missile and drone attack by Ukraine, with targets allegedly being airfields.
Sergey Aksyonov, the top civilian official in occupied Crimea, warned people not to approach possible unexploded ordinance, while another official urged individuals not to film or post videos of Russian air defenses in action. Russian military bloggers stated that the targets of the attack were airfields. The bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, essential for supplying Russia’s war efforts, was briefly closed but has since reopened. Russian officials reported that the attack was mainly carried out using six US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), all of which were allegedly shot down by air defenses. Ukraine has not yet responded to these claims, and there have been few videos or images of the explosions circulating.
The situation remains fluid and developing, with CNN continuing to monitor and update the story as more information becomes available. Interested readers can create an account on CNN.com for access to more news and newsletters.
