In a devastating missile attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa, at least five people have been killed and over 30 injured, according to Ukrainian authorities. Dramatic video footage released by the office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General captured the horrifying moment when dozens of bomblets exploded rapidly near the seafront area.

The attack also targeted an educational institution affectionately referred to as the "Harry Potter castle" due to its striking resemblance to a Scottish baronial mansion. Images shared by officials displayed the cone-shaped towers and roof engulfed in flames.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the attack was carried out by Russia using an Iskander ballistic missile and cluster munitions. The investigation found metal fragments and missile debris within a 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile) radius from the attack site. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin believes that the Russian military's intention was to cause significant casualties by employing cluster munitions. Among the injured were two children and a pregnant woman.

Nearly 20 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities also suffered damage in the strike, further escalating the already tense situation. The use, transfer, and production of cluster munitions are prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty. However, neither Russia, Ukraine, nor the United States, which has provided military aid, have signed the convention.

In response, Russian officials claim that air defenses in Crimea successfully intercepted a major missile and drone attack launched by Ukraine. Sergey Aksyonov, the top civilian official in occupied Crimea, cautioned people to stay away from possible unexploded ordinance, while another official urged the public not to record or share videos of Russian air defenses in action. Russian military bloggers indicated that the targets were airfields.

The bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, a critical supply route for ongoing war efforts, was briefly closed due to the attack but has since reopened. Russian officials allege that the attack primarily involved six US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), all of which were reportedly shot down by air defenses. Ukraine has not responded to these claims, and their veracity remains unverified by CNN at this time. Notably, there has been a scarcity of videos or images depicting the explosions, adding to the unusual nature of this incident.