Five killed in Russian strike on Ukraine’s ‘Harry Potter castle’

Five people have been killed in a Russian strike on a law school known locally as the “Harry Potter castle” in the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, local officials said.

At least 32 others were injured in Monday’s attack with 23 of them still hospitalised on Tuesday.

Footage showed the roof of the ornate building, a private law academy, all but destroyed after the strike as firefighters battled the flames.

“Monsters. Beasts. Savages. Scum. I don’t know what else to say,” Gennadiy Trukhanov, the mayor of Odesa, said in a video posted on Telegram. “People are going for a walk by the sea and they are shooting and killing.”

Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian navy, said the strike was conducted by an Iskander-M ballistic missile with a cluster warhead.

Regional governor Oleh Kiper said that in addition to those killed in the attack, one man died after suffering a stroke attributed to the strike.

Mr Kiper said on Tuesday morning that eight of the injured were in serious condition, and four in critical condition, including a four-year-old child. Another child and a pregnant woman were also among the injured.

“Our doctors are trying to do their best,” he added.

‘My doors were blown open and the glass was shaking’

A student at the academy said the blaze was caused when the missile was intercepted.

“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,” she told Reuters, pointing to the burning building.

“Just before this happened, we wanted to go down there for a walk, but thank God we weren’t there when it happened.”

The building is also reported to be the residence of former MP Serhiy Kivalov, who runs the law academy. Mr Kivalov was believed to have been wounded in the strike, according to Ukrainian media. The Gothic style building – which is mired in corruption allegations – was reportedly built by Mr Kivalov and is one of the most recognisable buildings on Odesa’s seaside.

The missile strike came just hours after Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to say that while Ukraine “has been outgunned for months… it is not too late to prevail,” as he rebuked members over delays to military aid.