Russian Missile Strike Destroys Ukraine's Iconic 'Harry Potter Castle'

In Ukraine, a picturesque estate nicknamed the 'Harry Potter Castle' has been destroyed by a Russian missile attack that also claimed the lives of four people, CNN reported. The missile attack on the Southern Ukrainian city also injured 30 others, including two children and a pregnant woman. Nearly 20 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were also damaged by the strike, Ukrainian authorities said. 

Video and pictures of the attack, released by the office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General, 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.

"This is an indiscriminate weapon, the use of which can lead to significant civilian casualties. Metal fragments and missile debris were recovered within a 1.5 km radius from the attack site. The investigation has grounds to believe that Russian Armed Forces officers decided to use this particular weapon deliberately to kill as many Ukrainian civilians as possible," the tweet read. 

Росія цинічно нехтує усіма нормами міжнародного гуманітарного права. Вчора ввечері ворог підступно атакував Одесу. П'ятеро людей загинуло, понад 30 було травмовано. Серед постраждалих двоє дітей та вагітна жінка. П'ятеро поранених у вкрай важкому стані.

Удар було здійснено… pic.twitter.com/LWkmBJmvwa

— Andriy Kostin (@AndriyKostinUa) April 30, 2024

"The investigation is ongoing. We will find and punish those who give criminal orders to shell peaceful Ukrainian cities," the Ukrainian official added. 

Russia, on the other hand, said that its air defences in Crimea succeeded in intercepting a major missile and drone attack by Ukraine. According to CNN, Kremlin-appointed Sergey Aksyonov, the top civilian official in occupied Crimea, warned people not to approach possible unexploded ordinance, while one of his officials urged people not to film or post videos of Russian air defences in action. Russian military bloggers said the targets were airfields.

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Russian officials also said the attack was primarily carried out using six US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which it said had all been successfully shot down by air defences.

Meanwhile, the attack came after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned the slow delivery of aid from Ukraine's allies in the West and said "serious delays" allowed Russians to advance on the war frontline in the 25-month-old invasion.