Odesa [Ukraine], May 1: A Russian missile assault on the Black Sea port city of Odesa has left at least five individuals dead and more than 30 wounded, as confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, CNN reported. A video footage, released by Ukraine's Prosecutor General, captures the harrowing moment when numerous bomblets erupted in quick succession near the seafront, unleashing chaos and devastation. Among the structures ravaged by the assault was an educational institution colloquially referred to as the "Harry Potter castle" due to its striking resemblance to the iconic Scottish architectural style.
Images disseminated by officials depict the once-majestic cone-shaped towers and roof engulfed in flames, painting a sombre picture of the aftermath, as reported by CNN. According to Ukrainian authorities, the assault was orchestrated using an Iskander ballistic missile alongside cluster munitions, underscoring the brutality of the attack. Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin revealed the recovery of missile debris and metal fragments strewn across a wide radius, indicating the ferocity of the strike.
Tragically, among the injured were two children and a pregnant woman, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the assault. Furthermore, the assault inflicted significant damage to nearly 20 residential buildings and critical infrastructure, compounding the already dire situation. The utilisation of cluster munitions in the attack violates international norms outlined in the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a treaty aimed at curbing such atrocities. However, the absence of signatures from either side, including the United States, highlights the glaring gaps in enforcing such agreements.
In a separate development, Russian officials claimed success in intercepting a substantial missile and drone onslaught by Ukraine in Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed civilian authority in the occupied region, cautioned against approaching potential unexploded ordnance. While Russian military bloggers asserted that the targets primarily comprised airfields, the closure and subsequent reopening of the vital bridge linking Crimea to Russia underscored the logistical challenges posed by such incidents.
Despite Russia's assertions of successfully thwarting the assault with US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems, Ukraine's response remains undisclosed, leaving the veracity of the claims uncertain. The scarcity of visual evidence depicting the explosions further complicates efforts to ascertain the full extent of the incident, CNN reported.
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