(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Tragedy struck in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa on Monday as a Russian missile targeted an educational institution situated in a popular seafront park. The attack claimed the lives of at least five individuals, with an additional 32 sustaining injuries. The Odessa Law Academy, often referred to locally as the "Harry Potter castle" due to its resemblance to a Scottish baronial structure, was left devastated by the strike, as depicted in visuals showing the ornate building engulfed in flames.
According to regional governor Oleh Kiper, one man tragically passed away from a stroke induced by the attack. Among the injured, eight individuals are reported to be in critical condition, including a 4-year-old child and a pregnant woman. The aftermath of the missile strike underscores the grim toll of conflict on civilian lives and infrastructure.
"Monsters. Beasts. Savages. Scum. I don't know what else to say. People are going for a walk by the sea and they are shooting and killing," said Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov on Telegram.
Video footage, though yet to be authenticated, depicted individuals receiving medical attention on the streets amidst pools of blood. Another image captured officials inspecting a fragment of the missile purportedly used in the attack.
According to Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk, the strike was carried out by an Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with a cluster warhead. Reports from a Ukrainian public broadcaster indicate that Serhiy Kivalov, the president of the academy and a notable former member of parliament, was among those injured in the incident.
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"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," Maria, a student at the academy, told Reuters.
Odesa has unfortunately become a recurrent focal point for Russian missile and drone assaults, often targeting crucial port infrastructure. Ukraine's Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, has asserted that an investigation into the recent attack has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting the use of cluster munitions by the Russian military, evidently aimed at causing significant casualties.
In the hours leading up to Wednesday morning, Ukrainian drones were reportedly launched into several regions of Russia, as confirmed by Russian officials. Unofficial Russian news outlets also mentioned a fire at the Ryazan oil refinery following the drone attack. Pavel Malkov, governor of the Ryazan region bordering Moscow, stated that there were no injuries resulting from the drone strikes.
The Ryazan oil refinery, owned and operated by Rosneft ROSN, plays a significant role in refining approximately 5.8% of Russia's total crude oil. It has frequently been targeted in air attacks by Ukraine. Governors of the Kursk and Voronezh regions in southwest Russia, bordering Ukraine, similarly reported drone activity in their areas, noting no damage or casualties.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized on Tuesday the urgent need for increased deliveries of weaponry from Ukraine's allies to bolster its forces against advancing Russian troops across multiple fronts. He specifically highlighted the necessity of receiving US weapons, crucial in addressing critical points along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line, following a six-month slowdown in supplies.
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"We need a significant acceleration of supplies to enhance tangibly the capabilities of our soldiers... We are very much counting on prompt deliveries from the United States. These supplies must make themselves felt in disrupting the logistics of the occupiers, in making them afraid to base themselves anywhere on occupied territory and in our strength," he said in a nightly video address.
Russia has announced the capture of several villages in eastern Ukraine following its seizure of the town of Avdiivka in February. Ukrainian commander Oleksander Syrskyi has disclosed that Russian forces have targeted the strategic town of Chasiv Yar, situated northeast of Avdiivka, with the intention of taking control before Russia's May 9 commemoration of the Soviet victory in World War II.
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